Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele has once again called on road users to exercise extra caution on the country's roads, as traffic volumes are expected to increase from tomorrow (Friday, 30 March) ahead of the Easter holidays.
This follows more than three road crashes in Gauteng alone this morning Thursday, 29 March. Forty people were reported injured, when a bus crashed into a ditch in Pretoria North. An South African National Defence Force (SANDF) member was killed, and three others injured, when the car in which they were travelling overturned and rolled on the N4 highway near Bronkhorstspruit, Pretoria. A motorcyclist was airlifted to hospital in a critical condition after he was side-swiped by a truck in Welbekend, Pretoria.
Heavy traffic volumes are expected along major arterial routes this weekend, following the closure of inland schools tomorrow, Friday 30 March.
"As the Department of Transport, we want to re-emphasise the need to exercise extra caution and obey all rules of the road without exception. As part of government’s programme to reduce road deaths, we will focus on driver and vehicle fitness, wearing of seatbelts at all times, drinking and driving, fatigue and pedestrian safety. We have also issued an instruction that every driver stopped must be tested for alcohol. We urge motorists to drive with their headlamps on at all times," said Minister Ndebele.
Meanwhile, as part of Easter law enforcement operations and the National Rolling Enforcement Plan (NREP), more than 34 un-roadworthy passenger buses were removed from the roads over the past two days. This morning (Thursday, 29 March), Western Cape traffic officials reported that four luxury long-distance buses were impounded for being un-roadworthy.
Yesterday, Wednesday 28 March, the National Traffic Police reported 30 un-roadworthy buses discontinued from use in Gauteng. Over the past three weeks, more than 750,000 vehicles and drivers were checked, and thousands of fines issued for various traffic offences.
Yesterday, Wednesday 28 March, Minister Ndebele visited the families of the two people who were killed when a Putco bus crashed into their house in Braamfischerville, Soweto on Tuesday, 27 March. The Minister announced that the Road Accident Fund (RAF) will cover the burial costs of the deceased parties, and bus company Putco will re-build the house that was damaged during the crash.
Enquiries:
Ashref Ismail
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