The City of Johannesburg has announced the graduation of new 171 traffic wardens who are attached to the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD).
The wardens, who will be joined by 1,500 JMPD recruits, are former Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) employees who were previously trained to control traffic flow.
Speaking at the graduation, executive mayor Herman Mashaba urged the wardens to help restore law and order in the City.
“This is not merely a job but a calling to serve, which will prove along the way to be a thankless one,” he said.
“When you caution an errant motorist or issue a stiff fine to another, you’re likely to be reprimanded as though you are the offending party,” said Mashaba.
The mayor also announced that following discussions with the Gauteng Provincial Government, the new wardens will have additional powers, which include:
- When in uniform, they can require a driver of any vehicle to stop;
- They can regulate and control traffic on any public road and give directions as may be necessary;
- They can require any person to give their name, address, and any other particulars for identification purposes, if they suspect the person of having committed an offence; and
- In respect of any motor vehicle, demand the owner, operator or driver to produce any documents as may be prescribed in terms of the National Road Traffic Act of 1996.
This article was sourced from BusinessTech; for the original article, click here.
