TO:	All News, Crime & Transport Editors
DATE:	Wednesday, 09 November 2011
SUBJECT:	CALL TO BAN “BLUE LIGHT BRIGADES”

  ßBEGINà
 
JOHANNESBURG – Justice Project South Africa (JPSA) wishes to extend its heartfelt and sincere best wishes to the family of 18 year old Thomas Ferreira who was senselessly and unlawfully critically injured by the driver of the unmarked BMW X5, allegedly transporting Gauteng Housing MEC, Humphrey Mmemezi this past weekend.
 
It has been noted that whilst the MEC for Gauteng Province, Nomvula Mokonyane has indeed commented on this matter, the Minister of Transport, Sibusiso Ndebele has not done so despite the fact that he was in Johannesburg for the launch of the Imperial “I Pledge” initiative yesterday where he spoke of the unacceptably high road death statistics in South Africa.
 
The use of blue flashing lights (and sirens) is governed by the National Road Traffic Act and definitively does not so much as suggest that any person using them is granted permission to disregard the safety of other motorists. It furthermore says that these may only be used by law enforcement authorities in reacting to emergencies.
 
Whilst there is no definition of the word “emergency” in the National Road Traffic Act, the dictionary and reasonable definition of this word applies and whilst meetings may certainly sometimes be defined as “urgent”, it is extremely unusual for one to constitute an emergency as is being suggested by some people.
 
The proliferation of the use of blue lights (and sometimes sirens), coupled with the extremely aggressive and reckless driving habits of so called “blue light brigades” have not only raised public anger but has on several occasions led to serious crashes and injuries of “ordinary motorists” and cannot be tolerated any longer.
 
To this end, JPSA has for the first time in its history, authored a petition to bring about the banning of the use of blue lights in all vehicles other than marked police and traffic authority emergency and enforcement vehicles. This petition is accessible by visiting https://www.jp-sa.org or www.aarto.co.za where a link is provided to the petition.
 
It is our intention to present this petition to the Minister of Transport by no later than 1 December 2011, for action by no later than 31 December 2011 and therefore; this petition will only be available until 30 November 2011. Those who wish to lend their support to this petition are therefore urged to act promptly.
 
With respect to the MEC’s driver, we sincerely hope that equal standards will be applied to his act as is applied to “ordinary citizens” and that he will be charged with and prosecuted for attempted murder as has become fashionable. He cannot reasonably claim that he could not have foreseen that proceeding through a red traffic light could not have led to the injury or death of another motorist.
 
ßENDSà


Best Regards,

Howard Dembovsky
National Chairman - Justice Project South Africa (NPC)
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