Executive Summery

Traffic Law Enforcement in this area was established during 1951.

The first authority was a Health Committee. Due to fast development a Town Council was soon established and was named Lyttelton. The name Lyttelton was later changed to Verwoerdburg.

The amalgamation in 1995 of Verwoerdburg, Rantesig, Knoppieslaagte, Laudium and Erasmia areas, resulted in a new collective name for the area. The name CENTURION was decided on by Council. The community was involved in the choosing of the name and readily accepted the change.

The Town Councils of Centurion, Pretoria and Acacia form the Greater Pretoria Metropolitan Structure. At this stage co-operation between them regarding traffic matters is limited to general policy and planning. The Centurion Traffic Department sets a full-time task of reviewing various road safety strategies with the goal to building a record of an accident free area. This Department will do its utmost to ensure the community a safe road environment.

As time goes by the community will experience various strategies and programs undertaken by the Centurion Traffic Department to promote a safe road environment.

Centurion Traffic Department is committed to a partnership with the community and liaison takes place on a regular base via the Community Police Forums.

CENTURION consists of approximately 800 km of roadway, of which 120 km are freeways utilised by more than 80 000 vehicles daily.

Apart from traffic safety the department fulfils a major task regarding general crime prevention with arrests occurring on a regular basis.

With only 38 operational officers it is a demanding task to maintain law and order at an accepted level.

Market Opportunity

The CENTURION TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT prides itself in establishing a safe, law abiding and accident free environment

Road safety over the years, was neglected by almost all the role players, from National Level down to Local Authorities. The lack of co-ordinated strategies on all levels resulted in chaos on South African roads. Previously in our traffic courts, trainee personnel, although just qualified, were used by the Department of Justice to try traffic offence cases, but after realising the seriousness of the cases, as well as the lack of experience of the personnel, changes were made, and more senior personnel were utilised. These previous issues caused a lack of motivation of traffic officers and traffic departments were held in contempt by the general public regarding authority.

After years of discussion with the Department of Justice, the Chief Magistrate of Pretoria gave us permission in August 1998 to start a traffic court in Centurion. On the 1st of October 1998 the court opened its doors for the first time. The court is in session every Tuesday and Thursday.

In view of the above, it is clear that great opportunities exist to make traffic authorities strive to make use of all available systems to give road safety the priority is deserves. With a proper management system and the co-operation of all role players, it is possible to reach the set objective.

Division : Law Enforcement

Division : Traffic Support Services

Operational Shifts

This section is divided into three shifts that render a 24 hour service of which 23:00- 06:00 is on a standby base. As from 1 February 1998 four shifts were implemented and render a comprehensive 24-hour service.

The responsibilities of the shift consist of:

• Law enforcement
• Visible patrolling
• Traffic conflict situations
• Support of extra curricular activities
• Initiate roadblocks
• Investigate and report on accidents
• General crime prevention

Freeway Patrol

• Law enforcement on the freeways
• Visible patrolling
• Incident management
• Attend accidents on the freeway
• General crime prevention

Diverse Policing

This section was implemented to assist and enable the operational section to direct all their efforts to their primary function.

Environmental Control and Special Squad

• Enforcing and control of parking on public roads
• Enforcing the Municipal bylaws regarding dogs and cats
• Assisting the SPCA when necessary
• Peak hour traffic control with reservist traffic wardens
• Control hawkers and peddlers
• Handle all applications of special duties and the execution thereof
• Operate the Radio control room
• Receive and log all complaints on computerised system
• Law enforcement by means of a camera (speed and traffic lights)
• Selective law enforcement on information received from division Support services.
• Taxi control
• Enforce bylaws regarding temporary advertisements
• Law enforcement regarding overloading.
• General crime prevention.
• Speed enforcing by camera

(Road environment,Training and Promotions, Section Traffic Information and Traffic Administration)

Section Road environment

The primary goal of this section is to ensure a safe and user-friendly road environment. This function consists of the following:

• Provide and manage an infrastructure that will safeguard the road environment. (Road markings and traffic signs)
• Continuously investigate new methods to improve and maintain this infrastructure.
• Towing service removal of vehicles causing obstructions and to impound those parked in contravention with the Road Traffic Act.

Section Training & Information

Training
This section is responsible for the following functions:

• In-house training for employees.
• Road safety training for:

- Nursery schools
- Primary schools
- Secondary schools
- Local Taxi associations
- Organisations like the SANDF, Retirement homes, and sport bodies.
- Responsible for scholar patrols in Centurion

Promoting

• Road safety exhibitions throughout the year.
• Various other marketing actions as the occasion arises.
• Weekly reports to the media to promote actions.

Traffic Information

This section is responsible for the following functions:

• Quality control models on:
  Safety belt wearing rate
  Speeding violation’s
  Traffic violations at accident red spots.

• Investigating complains from the public, departments or sections regarding:
  Traffic flow
  Traffic safety
  Traffic calming

An accident bureau

• Investigate all municipal accidents
• Collects duplicates of all accident reports in CENTURION from the various SAPD stations.
• Provide monthly computerised reports regarding accident red spots. Furnish other departments with details regarding municipal property involved in road accidents to enable them to reclaim the damage from the responsible persons.

Section Administration

The primary function of this section is to maintain and update when necessary, an administrative infrastructure to support the rest of the department in their functions and to supply logistics as required.

The administrative section consists of the following sub-sections.

• Logistics
• Section 341 prosecutions
• Section 56 & 54 prosecutions
• Traffic court and the liaison office
• Representations
• Cashier