Traffic volumes have increased significantly on the N4 toll route between Komatipoort and Pretoria. This, as migrant mineworkers and holiday makers head back after festive season. Traffic law enforcement officers are on the look out to ensure motorist adhere to the rules of road. At least three people were killed on Sunday morning, when the vehicle they were travelling in was involved in a collusion with a truck on the N11 road between Hendrina and Middelburg.
The Machado Toll Plaza recorded over 500 vehicles per hour in the morning and the number increased to over 700 vehicles around midday crossing the toll plaza.
“At the stage an hour ago were five hundred fourteen from Mbombela side to Joburg side an hour after that we went up to 780. It is picking up quite well then around one or two we will expecting around thousand per hour just on the westbound because most people are going to Joburg from vacation,” says traffic department spokesperson Ernest Grove.
Meanwhile, three people lost their lives on Sunday morning when the vehicle they were travelling collided with a truck. The three victims include the driver and two passangers in a sedan. They all died at the scene of the accident. Community Safety, Security and Liaison Moeti Mmusi……
“We have seen a major crash whereby three people were killed when the polo hatch-back that they were traveling had a swipe side collision with an articulated truck. The three include the driver and two of his passangers they all perished at the scene of the crash while the driver of the articulated truck sustained slight injuries, he was stabiliseD at the scene before being rush to the nearby hospital” explained Mpumalanga Community safety, security liason Moeti Mmusi.
Mmusi says their traffic law enforcement officers are manning road blocks to ensure that all vehicles are roadworthy. And, those with defects are impounded.
“We do have traffic officers as we speak they are busy conducting various operations that include block patrols and road blocks as and when it’s necessary but they are very visible. As you can see even here, the traffic is beginning to pick in most parts of the roads. These roads include N4, N2, N11, N 17 , R5 71 amongst other and R573 as well as R38 and R40.”
“We have stopped over 135 000 vehicles since the commencement of the festive to date and we have issued 25 000 traffic summons to motorist for various offences that relates how they were behaving on the road” added Mmusi.
Authorities urged motorists to drive with caution and to keep a safe following distance to avoid accidents.
VIDEO: Traffic is peaking on the N4 linking Mpumalanga to Gauteng:
Border Crossings
Meanwhile, the Border Management Authority says more than 90 000 travellers coming into the country from countries up north have been processed at the Beitbridge border post in Musina, Limpopo, since the beginning of this month. The commissioner of Border Management Authority, Mike Masiapato says they have put measures in place to speed up the processing of travellers. Masiapato was speaking during an inspection at the Beitbridge border post.
“We are having a high volume of people returning to into South Africa from Zimbabwe and other continents. We process an average of 20 000 people in the last 24 hours and overall from the 1st of January, we have processed more than 90 000 people who came from the other parts of the continent up to this point” Masiapato elaborated.
VIDEO: Traffic situation at Beitbridge border post
