The Gauteng Traffic Police urge drivers, particularly public transport operators to consider the well-being of road users this Easter weekend.
The Easter holiday period is characterised by a significant increase in long-distance travelling, mostly for religious pilgrimages and holiday adventures when mass transport such as buses and minibuses are on the main routes.
Over the past few years Gauteng has recorded a rapid increase in the number of road accidents.
The following freeways and routes are expected to be busy this Easter season:
• The N3 Johannesburg to Durban
• The N12 Johannesburg to Potchefstroom
• The N1 Pretoria to Polokwane
• The N1 Johannesburg to Bloemfontein
• The N4 Pretoria to Rustenburg
• The N4 Pretoria to Mpumalanga
To maximise profits, it is a common phenomenon that most public transport operators travel long distances without taking periodic rests, thereby disregarding fatigue and compounding the traffic safety situation further.
“The rush by public transport operators to make profits, especially during the Easter period, often results in various forms of dangerous driving such as reckless and negligent driving, disregarding traffic signals, excessive speeding, passengers overloading and unsafe overtaking. These traffic contraventions often lead to fatal crashes,” said Gauteng Traffic Police spokesperson Sello Maremane.
“The Gauteng Traffic Police and various law-enforcement agencies will lead a series of heightened law-enforcement operations and road-safety activations at identified freeways and hazardous locations in the province as part of the Easter Season Road Safety programme,” warned Maremane.
The Gauteng Traffic Police also issued a stern warning to drivers who continue to conduct themselves with impunity.
The Gauteng Traffic Police will not hesitate to act decisively against drivers who disregard the rules and regulations of the road, and endanger the lives of road users during the Easter weekend,” added Maremane.
The Gauteng Department of Community Safety will further complement law-enforcement initiatives this Easter by deploying community patrollers at identified public transport hubs to provide help and support to the general travelling public in an effort to save lives.
