The Eastern Cape Traffic Department is looking to lessen the number of road fatalities on the country’s roads this festive season. In 2016, 211 people lost their lives on the province’s roads.
Authorities are pushing for increased visibility on various major roads in the province as commuters rush to get home before Christmas. The N6 road, linking the province with Western Cape and inland provinces, is where the roadblock has been set up.
The roadblock deals with an average of 1000 cars per hour. The roadblock targets mainly the long distance travellers in attempts to prevent fatalities. Commuters believe this is a step in the right direction.
“I’m looking forward to get home. I haven’t seen my kids in a while,” says one traveller.
“We feel safe as there is traffic every few kilometres. You travel a few kilometres and you see blue lights. This will decrease accidents on the road,” adds another traveller.
Traffic department spokesperson Khuselwa Rantjie has issued a stern warning to drivers who break the law.
“We won’t be laughing because there are a number of accidents on our roads. They are serious and they are becoming fatal. We want to appeal to our motorists to ensure that they adhere to rules of the road and they must be very patient as the traffic volume is very high on our roads.”
Traffic offenders are set to face hefty fines and a possibility of jail time. The high visibility operations will continue until the end of January.
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