Transport Minister S'bu Ndebele recently announced his intention to bring down the high death rate of pedestrians on our roads. One proposal was to enforce control over "reckless" pedestrians, especially drunk ones. He did not define what "over the limit" would be for pedestrians. It was a criminal act, he maintained, similar to "reckless driving" and enforceable by law.

There is no doubt Ndebele wants to make our roads safer.

But is this not another of those flamboyant promises for which many of our politicians are now so renowned? Should not his much vaunted "zero tolerance" on our roads start with the enforced collection of fines? Ndebele's problem is that most drivers found guilty and fined for driving offences do not bother to pay their fines. So how is he going to enforce a fine for reckless walking? Take away a "walking licence" for our roads?

Only when we see real enforcement and punishment of road offenders will we begin to believe our politicians. For those who live in eThekwini, we will believe it when we see the stats that prove that at least 95% or more of all the fines levied are actually collected. Then drivers will take the rules of the road seriously. Ndebele would benefit by observing how it is done in Australia.