Over the Easter holiday period which included Freedom Day and Workers Day public holidays, Bakwena implemented various measures along their N1N4 route, one of which included the addition of 6 route patrol vehicles through their partnership with Motus Corporation and Kia Motors South Africa from 13 April to 3 May 2022. The additional vehicles were utilised by the various authorities to assist Road Incident Management Services to increase and boost route surveillance, crash assistance and patrol support over this period. Collectively these 6 vehicles travelled a distance of 37 817 kilometres, assisted at 59 crashes, issued 157 warrants and assisted 63 road users along the Bakwena N1N4 route.
While delivering the Preliminary Easter report which recorded a decrease overall in the number of road fatalities from 2021 figures, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula remarked that “the success we have achieved this Easter will add momentum to our efforts to reduce road fatalities by 25% by 2024”. He also mentioned their commitment to make a telling difference in their law enforcement interventions by ensuring that the officers act without fear or favour while remaining constant high levels of visibility 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Bakwena recorded a decrease in fatalities of 7 (4 on the N1 and 3 on the N4) along the Bakwena N1N4 route compared to 9 over the same period in 2021. The peak hour traffic volumes reached just under 2500 vehicles per hour on the N1 north through Pumulani on Thursday 14th April and approximately 2800 vehicles per hour on the N1 south on Monday the 18th April.
Road safety campaigns over the holiday period included the Stop & Take a Break Campaign with McDonalds Bela Bela, Secure-A-Kid and Car Seat for Kids Campaign in partnership with Wheel Well.
Spokesperson for Bakwena, Solomon Kganyago, says “we convey our heartfelt condolences to the families who lost loved ones over this period along the N1N4 route. One fatality is too many. Efforts to improve road safety in South Africa requires the joint efforts of all stakeholders, to use our influence and the resources that we have to intensify road safety initiatives throughout the year focusing on Road Safety education and awareness in an effort to strive for zero fatalities along the N1N4 route”.
Bakwena works very closely with traffic authorities along the N1N4 route and would like to thank them as well as other
stakeholders for their ongoing efforts in striving to reduce incidents and fatalities on South Africa’s roads. “We would like to urge motorists to continue to drive safely and abide by the rules of the road not just during busy holiday periods but also during their everyday driving”, says Kganyago.