Road fatalities remain a huge challenge in SA. Every year, festive season and Easter holiday statistics paint a grim picture of lives lost on our byways and highways.
It is in that context that we welcome the launch of Transport Month under the banner of building a safe, sustainable, reliable and affordable transport system.
There is progress to acknowledge. According to the Road Traffic Management Corporation’s latest State of Road Safety report, 11,485 people died in road accidents in 2025, down from 12,172 deaths recorded in 2024.
Fatal incidents also declined from 10,339 in 2024 to 9,734 in 2025. That is welcome news.
But it is hardly cause for celebration. The road fatality figures are still unacceptably high, with the 2025 figures averaging more than 31 deaths a day.
Behind those numbers are families whose lives have been permanently altered.
There are breadwinners who will not return home, children who will grow up without parents and communities that continue to pay the price for a transport system that remains dangerously unreliable for too many people.
This is where Transport Month faces its real test.
South Africans have heard many campaigns about road safety. They know they should not drink and drive. They know speeding kills. They know vehicles should be roadworthy and that pedestrians are particularly vulnerable.
The problem is not simply a lack of awareness. It is enforcement, infrastructure, accountability and the everyday functioning of the transport system.
Government cannot campaign its way out of a road-safety crisis.
It must enforce the law consistently, remove unroadworthy vehicles from the roads, improve pedestrian infrastructure and ensure that those responsible for dangerous driving face harsh consequences.
The same principle applies to public transport. For millions of South Africans who depend on taxis, buses and trains, it is the difference between having access to work, education and healthcare and being excluded from economic opportunity. That makes the rebuilding of public transport particularly important.
There is also a responsibility on motorists and passengers. Drivers must obey speed limits, avoid driving under the influence, maintain their vehicles and respect other road users.
Passengers should not accept dangerous driving as simply part of getting from one place to another.
A decline in road deaths is worth acknowledging. But when thousands of people continue to die each year, the job is far from finished.
Transport Month should therefore be less about celebration and more about accountability.
The public should expect government to set measurable targets, report honestly on progress and explain when those targets are missed.
Because ultimately, the success of SA's transport policy will not be measured in launches or slogans.
It will be measured in something much more basic: how many people leave home in the morning and return safely at night.
Daily Dispatch