- The City of Cape Town has started impounding luxury vehicles whose owners transgress its by-laws.
- Cape Town Safety and Security MMC JP Smith said the vehicles would remain at the impoundment yard until legal proceedings are concluded and impoundment fees paid.
- Smith said they would continue to clamp down on vehicles not adhering to the City’s traffic by-laws and on drivers who endanger others on the road.
In a bid to eradicate lawlessness on the roads, the City of Cape Town is impounding vehicles that are not obeying its traffic by-laws, including luxury vehicles that do not have number plates.
Taking to social media, Cape Town Safety and Security MMC JP Smith lambasted those who criticised the City for impounding only those vehicles belonging to the “poor” after scores of minibus taxis were impounded early this year, resulting in a deadly stayaway by taxi operators.
“There were those who commented previously, stating that our traffic by-law unfairly targeted the poor who could not maintain the roadworthy status of their vehicles. Our traffic by-law is designed to improve road safety and does not discriminate between the rich and the poor, and here is the evidence,” Smith said.
He posted a video to Facebook showing luxury sports cars, including a Lamborghini, Ferrari, Range Rover, Porsche Cayenne, Audi S3, Ford Mustang, and a few VW GTIs that were impounded by traffic officials and are now parked at an impoundment yard.
Smith said:
If you can afford a vehicle like this, you can afford to put a number plate on it. These are the vehicles without number plates that we are impounding, where the drivers are driving vehicles [without number plates]. But, for whatever reason, quite possibly an attempt to defeat the ends of justice, a number plate has not been fitted.
He added that many of the vehicles were impounded under the City by-laws while others were impounded for reckless and negligent driving.
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“The City’s by-law is busy working and targeting those drivers who present a material danger to other people on the road through inconsiderate behaviour, reckless behaviour, or drunk and irresponsible driving,” said Smith.
He added that the vehicles would stay in the yard until legal proceedings are completed and the impoundment fees paid.
“If we do this over time, the behaviour and conduct of people on the roads will become more considerate, and our road fatalities will start dropping,” said Smith.
He emphasised that the City’s focus was on safety and security, not targeting specific groups of people.
“The Constitution of South Africa requires a municipality to effectively enforce its traffic regulations. The national government has already provided the regulations in the National Road Traffic Act, the National Land Transport Act, and the National Road Traffic Regulations.
“As a local municipality, we must enforce it. We strive to protect the safety of all road users, no fear or favour,” he declared.
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