Metro traffic officer arrested for drunk driving – in new patrol car

By Michael Roux van Zyl

A METRO traffic officer was arrested for drunken driving in New Brighton on Saturday – in one of the brand new patrol cars the metro traffic department received last week.

His arrest came barely 48 hours after metro mayor Nceba Faku handed the 46 cars over to the traffic department with a stern warning to staff not to abuse the cars for shebeen jaunts and shopping trips.

Traffic department spokesman Gideon Botha said the officer was arrested at 8.20pm in Kulati Road after a call was received from a member of the public complaining about the officer. “Traffic officers investigated the call and found that the officer was over the legal limit,” said Botha.

He thanked the member of the public for notifying the department and urged residents to report all instances of malpractice by traffic officers.

“We will not accept behaviour like this and will do everything possible to ensure that this problem is rooted out,” said Botha.

The officer was detained at the New Brighton police station and will appear in court today.

The department received 46 new Nissan Almera sedans on Thursday. Each car is worth around R130 000, although the metro has obtained them from Vuswa Fleet Services on a three- year lease maintenance contract.

At the hand-over of the cars, Faku urged the public to play a role in ensuring that the vehicles were used for official business only, by reporting any abuse to the metro.

Faku’s warning was echoed by Mahlubi Biyana, chairman of the metro standing committee on safety and security, who warned that disciplinary action would be taken against officials who abused the new cars.