Banning Blue Light Brigades
Petition to bring about the immediate banning of "Blue Light Brigades"
To: The Minister of Transport
Subject: Cessation of the use of blue lights in non-police emergency vehicles
Dear Minister Ndebele,
For a considerable amount of time now, blue flashing lights have been in use by a number of individuals who are not law enforcement officers, including but not limited to vehicles transporting politicians.
Notwithstanding that there is a provision allowing an MEC to authorise the use of blue lights, this has been grossly abused, thereby causing a proliferation of so-called "blue light brigades" that regularly disregard traffic laws, including the provisions of Sections 58, 59 and 60 of the National Road Traffic Act, 93 of 1996 (as amended) with respect to emergency vehicles.
Furthermore, vehicles operated by the so-called "VIP protection unit" have seemingly been granted carte blanch to commit a variety of road traffic offences and enjoy impunity in doing so, regardless of whether they are reacting to an emergency or not.
There have been multiple instances of these “blue light brigades” endangering other road users, causing serious crashes, etc., the most recent of which has left an 18 year old brain damaged. The abuse of blue lights essentially means that senior government officials and their drivers are providing a poor example to the road using public which goes against the principle of leading by example, and which adds to the carnage on our roads. Already we have the public saying “if the taxi drivers can do it, so can we” and now the public have another poor example which they will want to follow.
Given that South Africa is signatory to the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety action plan we, the undersigned hereby call upon you to immediately and without delay to withdraw all authorisations for the use of blue flashing lights and sirens that have been issued to any non-law enforcement agency registered vehicles.
Should urgent attention to this matter and an immediate banning of the use of blue lights in non-emergency, non-law enforcement vehicles not be forthcoming by 31 December 2011, the matter will be escalated to the United Nations for further action.
. Finally i can say we may not become zim 2.0. What an epic week for SA, the anc may be many things but they are making me super impressed at the moment.
