Commuters asked to pack light for festive holidays
Kwatsaduza – As the festive season is underway, the Springs Taxi Association (STA) is requesting commuters travelling long distances to ensure they leave earlier this year, before the holiday rush begins.
This is to avoid road jams and high numbers of car accidents on busy roads during this hectic time of the year.
“Commuters should carry reasonable amounts of luggage to prevent overloading of vehicles.
“They should also not carry groceries and furniture to another province as there are shops there, and you sometimes find that a vehicle is carrying three times the weight of the acceptable load.
“This increases the risk of an accident,” says STA operator Louis Mkaza.
He adds that passengers should also label their bags with their name, address and contact numbers so that they are able to recover their luggage, should it be mixed up with someone else’s, as people carry similar bags.
Mkaza says it is imperative for drivers to make sure their cars are roadworthy, tyres are in good condition, brakes are working, that they don’t drink and drive, don’t speed, wear seat belts and adhere to all normal rules of the road.
“It is also important for all drivers to ensure they have enough time to rest, especially while driving long distances as fatigue also increases the risk of an accident.
“Drivers without a public driver’s permit (PDP) should not be allowed to drive passengers as this puts the lives of commuters at risk,” he says.
