GARDEN ROUTE DISTRICT NEWS - Following the announcement of the lockdown, it’s not surprising that this past Easter weekend has seen a huge reduction in the number of road deaths compared with previous years.
According to Western Cape Minister of Transport and Public Works, Bonginkosi Madikizela, the R61 Aberdeen route from Beaufort West to the Eastern Cape border received much attention over Easter weekend because of fake news being circulated on social media platforms claiming that thousands of public transport vehicles were using this road.
“The average speed over distance camera network, which covers the complete route including the secondary routes, recorded a total vehicle volume count of 888 motor vehicles, of which 420 were public transport vehicles,” he said in a press release.
As part of their planning in anticipation of a possible increase in traffic volumes over this period, additional roadblocks were activated at the N1 tunnel (Paarl), Rawsonville weighbridge in Worcester, Laingsburg and on the R61 Beaufort West route.
Overall Fatalities – 27 March to 13 April 2020
Five pedestrians and two drivers died on municipal roads, and one driver and eight passengers on provincial roads during this period.
“One of our main objectives was to ensure that road users comply with disaster management regulations, including but not limited to controlling the movement of road users on the province’s major road networks. These include those road users who provide all frontline and essential services,” said Madikizela.
“I would like to thank all our frontline service staff, our traffic officers for putting their lives on the line by enforcing the law during such difficult times. I urge all the people of the Western Cape to respect the lockdown regulations. Please stay at home in order to stop the spread of Covid-19.”
Disaster Management Act arrests and charges
Since the start of the lockdown a total of 303 arrests have been made and 540 fines have been issued on Western Cape roads.
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