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Limpopo Transport and Community Safety MEC, Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya will on Tuesday receive an upgraded Alcohol Evidence Center (AEC) from the South African Breweries. The evidential breath Alcohol testing technology is an alternative method with immediate results and it is an alternative to a prolonged blood test procedure.
Mike Maringa of the Department of Safety said the centre at the Polokwane Traffic Station has been operational since 2012 but was stopped due to technical challenges that led to a court ruling against the use of the alcohol testing machines. “A new machine was later approved in 2016 and the South African Breweries used the past five years to upgrade the system and also acquired two new machines.”
Maringa added that the unveiling of the upgraded center and the new machines will assist the department in ensuring that there is a reduction of fatal accidents on the roads. “Limpopo is on the list of top five provinces in the country that contribute to a high number of fatal accidents. Alcohol has been cited as one of the major contributing factors of road carnage in the province.”
He reiterated that the benefit of using the upgraded machine is that the evidence collected is admissible in court. The machines will come very handy at this time of the year when thousands of road users, mostly migrant labourers and holiday-makers visit Limpopo for the festive season.
