‘Ban trucks during N1 peak’ City officials appeal to national government to intervene as death toll mounts

CAPE TOWN authorities will be reiterating a call to the national government to ban trucks on the N1 during peak hour traffic after a deadly crash on the high way yesterday. This comes nearly a decade after a mother and her pregnant daughter were crushed when a container fell on their car.

JP Smith, the mayoral committee member for safety and security, said they would forward the proposal again after yesterday’s incident left three people dead.

“We have suggested that an urgent intervention is necessary by the national government. We proposed to them that heavy motor vehicles should not operate at peak time,” Smith said.

He added that the government had not responded.

The provincial Transport Department, however, said banning trucks during peak hours would have a significant impact on the local economy.

In yesterday’s incident, which caused a major traffic jam that lasted for several hours, two people died when a container truck overturned near the M5 exit and fell on top of their car. The driver of the truck died of his injuries.

Siphesihle Dube, the spokesperson for Public Works and Transport MEC Donald Grant, said it was alleged that the driver had lost control of the container truck because he was speeding.

Dube said the National Road Traffic Act 93 of 1996 had sufficient legislation to regulate all vehicles that used the provincial road network in the province, including heavy motor vehicles.

“Regular enforcement interventions are applied by provincial traffic service to ensure compliance with regard to driver and motor vehicle fitness, roadworthiness of such motor vehicles, and safe anchorage of containers.”

Dube said the banning of trucks during peak-hour traffic was not feasible. “The percentage of heavy motor vehicle populationis not the cause of the congestion. We are constantly asking our drivers to adjust their driving behaviour, which would drastically reduce the risk of fatal crashes.”

Efforts to contact South African National Roads Agency spokesperson Vusi Mona for comment yesterday failed.