About 900 vehicles were seized nationally and over 1000 drivers arrested since the beginning of the Easter weekend, according to the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC).
This in the midst of a tragic bus accident in Limpopo that claimed the lives of 45 people on their way to Moria from Botswana on Thursday.
The RTMC launched its road safety Easter campaign on March 20 at Mkhondo, Mpumalanga, to reduce accidents and fatalities.
“There was a hike in traffic on Thursday and Friday from 10am, with N1 North and N3 South recording an average of 2000 vehicles passing through various toll gates per hour. The N4 East recorded 1900, and N1 South recorded an average of 1000 vehicles,” the RTMC said in a statement on Saturday.
Most vehicles were impounded in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga for violation of public transport operating permits. Of these arrests, they were in relation to drunk driving, producing falsified driving documentation, reckless driving, driving without a licence and overload of goods and passengers.
“Moreover, 75 961 vehicles were stopped and checked, and 916 927 drivers were issued traffic fines for various infringements. A major concern during the festivities of the Easter holidays, was the usage of unworthy vehicles on the road of which, 274 of them were discontinued.”
Transport Minister, Sindisiwe Chikunga and law enforcement officers were at the N3 Mariannhill Toll Plaza, Pinetown in KZN, on Monday overseeing road safety regulations as the Easter weekend came to an end.
“We are discovering a lot of reckless driving - speeding in particular, and drunk drivers on national roads. We urge our drivers to rest for two hours before getting on the road. Also, we urge young male drivers to drive carefully, you can’t drive as if you are the only one on the road,” she said.
During a live broadcast, the minister outlined that a full accurate report of statistics in relation to arrests, accidents and fatalities would be issued post the holiday. “At the moment, I cannot give out statistics because we are here (Marianhill) busy, but we have arrested a taxi driver for carrying an invalid driving document, drivers are also driving vehicles unworthy for the road,” said Chikunga.
The Star