Pretoria – Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele has conveyed condolences to the families of those who died in road crashes over the Easter weekend.
He also wished those injured a speedy recovery, adding that a culture of voluntary compliance to all road rules must be embraced.
“Deaths and injuries on our roads are preventable, you can help stop it. Together, we can save lives on our roads,” he said.
According to preliminary reports by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), at least 203 people were killed on the country’s roads during the Easter weekend.
The preliminary provincial breakdown for fatal crashes is Kwazulu-Natal reported 43 deaths, Gauteng reported 32 deaths, Limpopo reported 30 deaths, Mpumalanga reported 29 deaths, Eastern Cape reported 25 deaths, Free State reported 17 deaths, North West reported 11 deaths, Northern Cape registered nine and seven deaths were reported in the Western Cape.
This period was characterised by heavy traffic volumes along all major arterial routes. On Wednesday between 1pm and 2pm, 1 889 vehicles per hour were heading North pass the Mooi River Toll, 1 803 vehicles at the Tugela Toll, 1 364 vehicles pass the Wilge Toll, 1 215 vehicles at the Dehoek Toll and 1 285 vehicles pass the Marianhill Toll.
Roads are also expected to be busy from today due to the long weekend. Monday is a public holiday as Workers Day falls on a Sunday.
Law enforcement officers will continue to be out in full force in accordance with the new National Rolling Enforcement Plan (NREP).
From 18 to 25 April, thousands of motorists were fined for various traffic violations with more than 1 016 arrests for offences including drinking and driving, reckless and/or negligent driving as well as invalid or fraudulent public transport documentation.
From 1 October 2010 to 31 March 2011, over 7.5 million (7,548,944) vehicles and drivers have been checked, 3.2 million (3,211,862) fines issued for various traffic offences, 12 344 drunk drivers arrested and 30 824 un-roadworthy vehicles discontinued from use. – Nthambeleni Gabara, BuaNews
