Transport Minister urges citizens to use the 2022 Easter period to reignite the ethos of ubuntu, compassion and empathy to end the carnage on the roads.
The Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, joined by Transport Deputy Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga and Gauteng and Mpumalanga MECs for Roads, Transport and Public Works respectively, Jacob Mamabolo and Mohita Latchminarain yesterday, Tuesday, to officially launch the Easter Road Safety campaign.
Mbalula urged South Africans to use the 2022 Easter period to reignite the ethos of ubuntu, compassion and empathy to end the carnage on the country’s roads.
“Over the next few days, our national roads will once again carry millions of motorists, one of the greatest movement of people over a single long weekend, as people will be travelling to different destinations for the Easter holidays,” the minister said.
Mbalula said many of the travellers will be worshippers making their way to various places of pilgrimage after Covid-19 restrictions on travel and religious gatherings were relaxed with the lifting of the state of disaster after over two years. He added that others will be crossing borders to neighbouring states and provincial borders.
The minister said that the busiest routes this time of the year are the N1 from Gauteng to Limpopo, the N3 from Gauteng to KwaZulu-Natal, the N2 from the Western Cape to Eastern Cape, the N14 to from Gauteng to the North-West and the N12.
“This busy period requires us to skilfully deploy resources across the country if we are to succeed in arresting the carnage on our roads. The realisation of the 25% reduction on road fatalities must be driven by innovative solutions that not only affect behavioural change by road users, but also maximise compliance with the law,” he said.
Mbalula said the department will therefore deploy law enforcement officers drawn from the South African Police Service, the National Traffic Police, provincial traffic officers and municipal traffic officers.
He added that law enforcement’s focus will be on the use of safety belts, the roadworthiness of vehicles, fatigue, drunk driving, pedestrian safety and dangerous driving which includes speeding, recklessness and overtaking on barrier lines.
“We are cognisant that this is going to be one of the most challenging Easter weekends as we expected increased volumes of traffic. Our analysis of monthly road fatality statistics since 2019 for the months of January and February, indicate that road deaths are on an upward trajectory this year,” Mbalula said.
The minister said that in January and February this year, 1 823 people lost their lives on our roads. This is higher compared to 1 521 fatalities in the same period in 2021. “However, travel was limited in the 2021 period due to Covid-19 restrictions and thus cannot provide realistic comparison,” he said.
Over the last five years, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Limpopo accounted for the highest numbers of fatalities compared to other provinces.
Mbalula said all provinces experienced a spike in fatalities in the first two months of the year with Gauteng leading with 355 followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 269, Limpopo with 239 and Eastern Cape with 232. The North West province recorded 170 fatalities, while Mpumalanga recorded 158, Free State had 96 and the Northern Cape had 66 fatalities.
“Arresting carnage on our roads starts with you and me doing our part to eliminate reckless conduct that places the lives of others at risk. It is possible to reduce road fatalities in our country if we adopt the highest levels of discipline and courtesy towards other road users,” the minister said.