AFRICA DO SUL: Transport MEC to man major roadblock at toll

KwaZulu-Natal Transport MEC Willies Mchunu will lead a “massive” roadblock at the Mariannhill Toll Plaza on Thursday in a bid to crack down on errant drivers this Christmas weekend.

KZN Transport spokesman, Kwanele Ncalane, said there had been more than 100 crashes and a growing number of fatalities around the province. He said the figures still needed to be put through an extensive verification process.

Mchunu will be accompanied by the Road Traffic Inspectorate, the Metro Police, Customs, the SA Police Service and the Emergency Medical Services at the roadblock.

The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) told the Daily News on Wednesday that more than 67 601 vehicles had been stopped on KZN roads this festive season, with more than 51 712 drivers being tested for alcohol.

RTMC spokesman, Simon Zwane, said to date, 1 030 motorists in the province had been charged for driving without licences, while a further 930 had been charged for failing to produce a licence.

Another 3 500 motorists on KZN roads were nabbed for inconsiderate driving, overtaking on barrier lines and driving unroadworthy vehicles.

Ncalane urged motorists to drive with good attitudes and said safety was paramount.

“The message from the MEC is that we want to urge motorists as they make their way to the various destinations to drive carefully and to always prioritise safety on the road,” he said.

Ncalane said the roadblock was ordered because of the “anticipated influx of motorists this Christmas weekend”.

“These major roadblocks are part of the multi-pronged strategies implemented by government to reduce road accidents and fatalities during the festive season and beyond,” he said.

In a bid to raise awareness about the importance of driving safely and soberly, the eThekwini Municipality has started a campaign called #NgizobaRoadSafe (which loosely means “I will be road safe”).

As part of the campaign, motorists are encouraged to pledge that they will wear seatbelts, carry driving licences, drive under 120km/h on the freeway and put children under 4 years of age on car seats.

The pledge also calls for motorists to always check tyre pressure and ensure tyre treads are within safety limits.