The Buffalo City traffic department is making good use of the specially designed truck it received earlier this month from the Eastern Cape Transport Department to impound and transport stray animals, the Daily Dispatch has reported.

"Since the state-of-the-art R 350 000 vehicle was handed to us we have impounded 51 stray cattle on roads under our jurisdiction," Berny Martin, the city's commander of traffic and municipal police, told the newspaper.

According to Martin the animals were impounded on the N2, the R63, and on minor roads and taken to the local SPCA pound. "It is our obligation to make the roads safe for motorists and stray animals are one of the causes of fatal accidents which we aim to eradicate."

Martin called on livestock owners to have their animals branded as proof of ownership, as required by law. "This is not happening and in the case of an accident no-one owns the beast, and due to no branding we are unable to hold the owner accountable," he said.

Owners will have to pay an initial fee of R300 to reclaim each animal. "This increases by R13 on a daily basis until claimed," Martin said.

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