Traffic cops on high alert as roads get busy

Certain sections closely monitored over Easter weekend holidays

As traffic volumes start picking up on all major provincial roads ahead of the busy Easter long weekend, Eastern Cape traffic law enforcement officers will be on high alert, with inter-provincial safety operations planned.

Provincial transport department spokesperson Khuselwa Rantjie said on Thursday particular attention would be given to roads that had been flagged as high risk for crashes.

She said provincial traffic authorities would be working with colleagues in the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape to hold interprovincial road blocks to try to reduce road fatalities.

On Thursday morning, Rantjie said, traffic volumes were expected to start picking up considerably in the afternoon and into the early hours of Good Friday on all national roads.

She said special attention would be paid to the N2 between East London and Mthatha, Mthatha and Kokstad, and East London-King William’s Town.

The R61 between Komani and Mthatha, the R61 linking Port St Johns and Bizana, as well as the routes from the Western Cape to the Eastern Cape along the N2 and the R61, would also be closely watched.

In 2018, 510 people were killed on South African roads during the Easter weekend, a 14% increase compared to the 449 who perished during the same period in 2017.

Rantjie said in the Eastern Cape, 59 fatalities had been recorded between March 29 and April 9 2018, with most of those taking place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Rantjie said the most dangerous time on the road during Easter last year was between 5pm and 8pm.

Rantjie said officers had been briefed to ensure that all motorists were compliant with road traffic and vehicle safety rules.

Traffic cops will also demand payment of fines. Those who contravened would face being removed from the road.

Rantjie said: “Evidence suggests that reckless driving, excessive speed, drinking and driving or walking, remain the leading causes of road crashes. Human error is still the main cause and the department pleads with all road users to take responsibility for their safety.”

Transport MEC Weziwe Tikana on Thursday urged motorists to be vigilant since bad weather was expected. “This has an adverse effect on our roads as they become slippery and visibility is poor. Let us keep our roads safe, remain vigilant and focused.”