Pretoria – More than 200 people have been killed on Gauteng roads over the festive season, prompting the Gauteng Traffic Police to reiterate calls for caution as traffic volumes continue to increase in the most populous, inland province.
“Many motorists are expected to drive into Gauteng province from various destinations resulting in high volumes of traffic after spending times on holidays and some engaging on business ventures,” said Gauteng Traffic Police spokesperson Sello Maremane.
“Major roads such as the N3 (from) Durban to Johannesburg, N1 (from) Polokwane to Pretoria, the N4 (from) Mpumalanga to Pretoria, the N4 (from) Rustenburg to Pretoria and the N1 (from) Bloemfontein to Johannesburg are expected to be heavily congested throughout the whole day.”
Gauteng has recorded several crashes and fatalities since the beginning of the festive season period. More than 200 fatalities have been recorded to date, according to Maremane.
“We appeal to road users to comply with road safety rules and regulations to avoid unnecessary crashes resulting in fatalities. Road crashes and fatalities contribute to the alarming rate of disabilities and deaths in the province,” he said.
“This is largely attributed to the attitude and behaviour of road users such as unsafe overtaking, unsafe lane changing, over-speeding, pedestrian jaywalking and lack of concentration by drivers. Substance abuse and vehicle fitness have also compounded the situation on our roads.”
He said the Gauteng Traffic Police has been on high alert as part of the integrated law enforcement plan to deal decisively with road traffic violations such as drunk driving, reckless and negligent driving, speeding, jaywalking, freight overloading and roadworthiness.
“The Gauteng Traffic Police will also be conducting regular mobile testing operations focusing particularly on public transport and freight transport,” added Maremane.
IOL