Van Reenen's Pass 'blockaded by trucks' on N3
Unhappiness over the employment of foreign drivers by local trucking companies may have sparked the protest that blocked Van Reenen’s Pass along the N3 on Wednesday.
The highway was blocked in both directions by trucks between Harrismith and Ladysmith.
N3 Toll Concession spokesman Con Roux said: “Our understanding is that truck drivers have blocked the roads in protest against the employment of foreign nationals”.
09h06 #ProtestAction #VarReenenPass: Entire road blocked. Please delay your trips or use the alternative route.
— N3 Toll Concession (@N3Route) June 20, 2018
Urgent Traffic Alert: Van Reenen’s Pass a ‘No Go Zone’ due to truck drivers protesting on N3 (Gallery Included) @FatalMoves @TrafficSA @KZNTransport #VanReenensPass #Protest #TruckProtest https://t.co/VPAhXneAxz pic.twitter.com/Lot6bp0l1J
— Ladysmith Gazette (@LdyGazette) June 20, 2018
The toll concession‚ which manages the route between Cedara in KwaZulu-Natal up to Heidelberg in Gauteng‚ informed motorists travelling on the N3 that protesters had blocked Van Reenen's Pass between Harrismith and Ladysmith.
Roux said that law enforcement officers had been deployed to the area but could not give a timeframe of when the road would be opened again. He urged motorists to delay their travel‚ if they could‚ until further notice.
Motorists who must travel were urged to consider alternate routes‚ including the R74 via Oliviershoek Pass‚ the R34/N11‚ via Vrede and the R23 via Heidelberg.