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Traffic cops using hired cars

CAPE TOWN - The National Intervention Unit, tasked with reducing road deaths in SA, is relying on hired vehicles, which are not equipped to deal with traffic officers' duties.

The Star reported that the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) hired 40 cars in December 2012 to enable the unit to perform its duties and increase visibility.

Unnamed sources told the newspaper that the vehicles were not fitted with required equipment such as sirens, numberplate recognition devices and communication radios.

'YOU CAN'T DISREGARD TRAFFIC LAWS'

Justice Project SA spokesman Howard Dembovsky said that traffic officers needed blue lights and sirens to legally break traffic laws in the line of duty.

Dembovsky said: "You can't disregard the traffic laws and road signs if you are using a vehicle that is not marked properly."

RTMC spokesman Ashref Ismail said half of these vehicles, rented at R235 per car per day, were sponsored by Avis.

The National Intervention Unit is tasked with coordinating law enforcement on the South Africa's roads and was created to reduce road deaths and crack down on drunk driving.

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