Roads quieter but authorities raise concerns about speeding motorists

15 April 2022 - 14:25
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The AA urged all road users to obey the rules of the road this Easter weekend and to arrive safely at their destinations and back home again. File photo.
The AA urged all road users to obey the rules of the road this Easter weekend and to arrive safely at their destinations and back home again. File photo.
Image: Masi Losi

Eleven people were killed in the Western Cape on Friday morning when a bus and minibus collided.

Road Traffic Management Corporation spokesperson Simon Zwane said the accident happened on the N1 near Leeu-Gamka. Zwane said they have sent accident scene investigators and the recovery process is underway. 

“The accident happened at around 6am today and our investigators are at the scene to investigate the cause,” Zwane told TimesLIVE.

In Limpopo, four people have lost their lives on the roads since the beginning of the Easter weekend.

Spokesperson for the provincial department of transport and community safety Mike Maringa said the four were killed in separate road accidents.

Maringa said traffic volumes driving into Limpopo were high and law enforcement officials will continue to be present to ensure motorists comply with the rules of the road. 

“The N1 is busy. We are recording more than 1,600 vehicles per hour passing through the Granskop toll plaza,” he said.

In Mpumalanga authorities expressed disappointment with non-compliance of laws by motorists.

Spokesperson for the provincial department of community safety and security Moeti Mmusi said they were seeing a lot of motorists driving over the speed limits. 

“Our traffic police have recorded more than 9,000 excessive speeding infringements since the beginning of the Easter weekend,” Mmusi said.

He said one person was arrested for speeding and two people were arrested at a roadblock for obstructing law enforcement officials from executing their duties.

Moeti said Mpumalanga’s roads are quieter but some minor backlogs were seen on the N4.

He said they have recorded five fatalities since the beginning of Easter weekend.

“Four people were killed and 11 injured when two minibus taxis collided on the N17 between Leandra and Kinross at 1am on Good Friday.”

He said the other fatality recorded was a pedestrian knocked down by a vehicle.

TimesLIVE

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