By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga launched the 2024 Road Safety Awareness Campaign in Mkhondo, Mpumalanga, on Wednesday, ahead of Easter long weekend.
Scores of South Africans are set to travel to different destinations for the Human Rights Day weekend and school holidays.
Traffic volumes are expected to start picking up on Thursday morning, and will stay high until midnight.
On Friday, traffic volumes will start increasing early in the morning and will return to normal after 2 pm.
She called out drunk drivers, those who fraudulently obtained their driver’s licence and motorists who choose to ignore the road rules.
“I have a right to life. No one has the right to take someone’s life – be it due to a car accident caused by drunkenness or through stabbing. No one has the right to take someone’s life,” Chikunga said.
“You shouldn’t be on the road if you don’t understand the purpose of the barrier line or the meaning of traffic lights.”
“Return traffic will commence with worshippers from Moria City and other places of worship on Sunday, 31 March. All other main routes are expected to be extremely busy throughout Monday, 1 April” added Chikunga.
Chikunga said the department has set a target to reduce road fatalities by 15% over this period.
Last year, over 252 fatalities were recorded – a 37% increase compared to the same period the previous year.
“Every province has been given a target based on the number of fatalities experienced last year. The province of Mpumalanga must reduce the fatalities from 20 to 17, Limpopo from 43 to 37, KwaZulu-Natal from 64 to 54, Gauteng from 47 to 40, Eastern Cape from 41 to 35, Free State from 21 to 18, Western Cape from 28 to 24, North West from 10 to 9, Northern Cape from 4 to 3.”
Chikunga warned officials will be out in full force on key routes in Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State, the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape.
Meanwhile, the N3 Toll Concession (N3TC) has warned motorists of changing traffic patterns and higher volumes over the next two weeks, as the autumn school holiday, Human Rights Day, and the Easter long weekend coincide.
“We are expecting southbound traffic volumes to be split between the upcoming Human Rights Day weekend and next week’s Easter weekend, with some motorists possibly travelling over the entire period,” warned N3TC’s operations manager, Thania Dhoogra.
“Road users are, however, warned to plan for the possibility of high peak conditions and traffic congestion in a northbound direction (towards Gauteng) on Easter Monday (01 April) as most holidaymakers are likely to make their way home at the same time.”