Herman Mashaba moves to root out bad drivers from Johannesburg roads

Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba is going after the city’s bad drivers.

Mashaba on Wednesday launched a hotline where motorists and pedestrians could name, shame and expose those who made driving on the city’s roads a nightmare.

“The Reckless Driving Hotline allows residents to report reckless and inconsiderate road behaviour. They will be able to upload the footage on the Whatsapp-based hotline whereafter the Johannesburg metro police department will follow up and take the necessary action,” Mashaba said in a statement.

“The launch of this project is aimed to improve driver behaviour and to ensure that road safety is enhanced for all, especially since reckless driving and driving under the influence of alcohol has been at the top of the monthly transgressions,” he added.

The City is partnering with the JMPD and the department of community safety in rolling out the programme.

Mashaba said while they were eager to capture wrongdoers on camera, they still wanted to ensure that those capturing the footage did not endanger themselves in the process.

“Residents are encouraged to stop their vehicles and record, or use dashcams if they have them. We have had to consider many safety issues and legalities, we are urging residents not to break the law while using the hotline,” the statement said.

The hotline number is 081 470 6338 and it will operate on a 24-hour basis. There is, however, a 24-hour deadline in lodging complaints via the hotline.

The launch of the hotline comes as the JMPD released its statistics for the month of February. 

The traffic officers said they had arrested 541 motorists for drunk driving. 

A further 21 people were arrested for driving recklessly while 15 were found in possession of stolen cars.