Hundreds dead but traffic peak only expected in next few days

Sapa | 22 December, 2013 13:19

File photo.
Image by: LULAMILE FENI © Daily Dispatch

A traffic peak is expected on major routes just before Christmas, as people head to their holiday destinations, the Road Traffic Management Corporation said on Sunday.

No major accidents had been reported by Sunday, and traffic volumes were still normal, but major delays were expected on Monday and Tuesday, said Thato Mosena.

More than 600 lives have been lost in over 600 road accidents in December, Transport Minister Dipuo Peters said on Friday.

Traffic volumes were expected to increase again next Tuesday, just before New Year, and again on January 5 and 6, when people were expected to return from their holidays.

Mosena said a high traffic volumes were experienced when 1000 to 2000 or more vehicles an hour were travelling on a route.

She said more than 2000 vehicles an hour were expected during peak holiday times.

The N1 north between Pretoria, Polokwane and the Beit Bridge border post was expected to be busy, as was the N2 to and from Somerset West and Cape Town.

A lot of traffic coming into Durban from Johannesburg was expected on the N3.

High volumes of vehicles travelling on routes between Mangaung and Cape Town and between Pretoria, Nelspruit and Lebombo were also expected. N3 Toll Concession spokeswoman Andy Visser said on Sunday morning that about 1000 vehicles an hour had been heading out of Gauteng at the tollgates.

About the same number of vehicles was heading out of KwaZulu-Natal, but more, at 1100, were entering the province.

Limpopo roads and transport spokesman Jimmy Machaka said five people had died in accidents in the province since Friday night.

This brought to 39 the death toll since the start of the month. There had been 178 accidents since then.

He said two of the people who died at the weekend were drivers and two were pedestrians. Details of the fifth death, which occurred after midnight in Polokwane, were still being compiled.

He said a traffic official was seriously injured when he was hit by a car a car while conducting a road block in Groblersdal.

Machaka said that many of the accidents were caused by speeding and overtaking in reckless situations.

He urged pedestrians to wear clothing which made then visible to drivers while walking at night.