The Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison is urging truck drivers to be patient and obey the rules of the road when approaching the Lebombo Border today and over the Christmas period.
The department’s spokesperson, Moeti Mmusi, said truck drivers have been violating the road rules in order to try and avoid the long queues leading up to the border post, including driving into oncoming traffic.
He said traffic officers have been deployed at various points along the N4 leading to the border to ensure the road is not blocked and has called on both truck drivers and truck owners to respect the rules of the road and fellow motorists.
“We are experiencing quite a bit of lawlessness on the road, and while we understand that truck drivers have certain deadlines to meet, they cannot do so at the cost of endangering the lives of others by not obeying the laws.
“The MEC, Vusi Shongwe, has condemned these actions in the strongest possible terms and he is calling on law enforcement to force these drivers to comply with road safety,” said Mmusi.
He added that traffic officials had been working throughout the night to try and keep traffic at the border moving, and said they would continue to monitor the situation carefully throughout the festive period.
He appealed to motorists to be patient during the backlog and urged drivers to be tolerant and respectful of fellow road users.