By Lebone Rodah Mosima
The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) has impounded 23 vehicles in Region G as part of an ongoing high-impact operation targeting unroadworthy scholar and public transport vehicles.
Region G is the southernmost region of the city. It includes smallholdings and storage facilities, and is home to the middle-income, formerly coloured townships of Eldorado Park and Ennerdale, the Indian township of Lenasia, and the relatively new township of Orange Farm.
The enforcement drive forms part of the ‘Public Transport Operation’, which intensified earlier this year following the devastating Vanderbijlpark crash that claimed the lives of 14 learners.
JMPD officers are currently conducting operations across the Johannesburg CBD and surrounding precincts, focusing on strict compliance with road safety regulations.
“The safety of our children is non-negotiable. We have moved beyond routine stops and are conducting thorough inspections into every aspect of scholar transport safety,” JMPD said in a statement.
The department said enforcement is centred on key safety pillars, including vehicle roadworthiness, licensing compliance, overloading, and driver conduct. Vehicles found to be unroadworthy or operating without the required legal documentation are being impounded immediately.
“We are not merely issuing fines; we are removing risks from our roads to prevent avoidable tragedies,” JMPD said.
Parents were urged to play an active role by regularly inspecting the vehicles transporting their children and requesting to see valid Professional Driving Permits (PrDPs) and licensing discs.
City of Johannesburg Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Public Safety spokesperson, Alex Mandlazi, told Inside Metros that the enforcement operations will continue through June and beyond.
“This is an ongoing operation. We ensure that children are not adversely affected during the process, but enforcement will continue until full compliance is achieved,” Mandlazi said.
He added that the operation targets not only scholar transport but also buses, taxis and other public transport vehicles.
Mandlazi said operations are conducted during morning peak hours, between 6am and 9am, and that impounded vehicles are securely stored at the Wemmer Building Complex.
In terms of the Road Traffic Act, vehicle owners are required to pay a prescribed fine of R4,000 to secure the release of their vehicles.
“These operations also contribute to the city’s revenue. The longer vehicles remain impounded, the higher the storage costs,” he said.
Meanwhile, City of Joburg Public Safety MMC Mgcini Tshwaku revealed on social media that JMPD officers intercepted a vehicle transporting schoolchildren who were seated on crates in an attempt to maximise profit.
“The vehicle was impounded as part of strict enforcement to protect learners and uphold road safety,” Tshwaku said.
INSIDE METROS