As the festive season approaches, Bakwena Platinum Corridor Concessionaire (Bakwena) is expecting, and preparing for, busy conditions as road users travel to holiday destinations to be with their loved ones.
To accommodate increased traffic volumes, Bakwena has implemented several measures to enhance road safety and convenience for travellers:
- No construction or lane closures: From 13 December 2024 to mid-January 2025</>, there will be no construction or closed lanes on the N1N4 route, ensuring smooth traffic flow.
- Payment options: Accepted toll payment methods include cash, credit cards and tags. Contactless payment will be introduced only from 1 June 2025. Toll plaza lanes will be optimised to handle peak traffic conditions.
- Tag users: Motorists using tags are advised to top up ahead of their journey. Top-up facilities are available at:
- Marlotti Guest Lodge (N4 Swartruggens)
- N4 Kroondal Shell Ultra East
- N4 Total Magalies Petroport
- Bakwena’s Hatfield tag office (420 Festival Street, Hatfield, Pretoria)
- N1 Total Panorama Petroport
- Tag services are also accessible via SANRAL Customer Service Centres, EFT and the SANRAL app.
Road users are encouraged to plan their journeys to avoid the following peak travel periods:
- N1 northbound & N4 westbound:
- 13, 16, 20, 24 and 31 December 2024 (12:00–21:00)
- 2, 5 and 12th January 2025 (12:00–21:00)
Road safety is Bakwena’s priority and various additional measures have been ramped up along the route. In partnership with Motus and Renault South Africa, Renault handed over to Bakwena 6 vehicles (4 x Clio vehicles & 2 x Captur vehicles) on the 11th December 2024 at the Renault Dealership in Menlyn. These 6 vehicles will be deployed by Bakwena as additional patrol vehicles which will be used to support visible policing, surveillance, crash assistance as well as provide support to road users who find themselves in difficulty along the route. These vehicles will be on the N1N4 route over the busy festive period (11 December 2024 till 13 January 2025).
As the busy Festive Season travels commence, Renault is proud to be part of the strategic partnership with Bakwena, in conjunction with our parent company Motus. Active citizenship ensures that we make a difference to the lives of fellow South Africans. Join us in making a difference on our roads this festive season—remember, “Safer Road starts with all of us!” says Shumani Tshifularo, Renault CEO.
Parents traveling with children are invited to the N4 Kroondal Shell Ultra City (Pretoria-bound) on Friday, 13 December 2024 (09:00–12:00) to exchange or upgrade child car seats for a minimal donation. Experts from Wheel Well and Bakwena will be available to assist parents with valuable car seat advice as well.
Solomon Kganyago, Bakwena’s Chief Operating Officer, encourages motorists to:
- Plan trips to avoid peak times.
- Adhere to speed limits, be extra cautious when approaching busy intersections and areas of high traffic volumes.
- Take breaks every two hours or after 200 km of travel to avoid fatigue. Driver fatigue occurs when motorists have not had enough time to rest before embarking on a long journey and potentially could lead to crashes and fatalities.
For real-time updates, follow @bakwenan1n4 on X. In case of emergencies, dial 0800 BAKWENA (0800 225 9362) and use the blue kilometre board markers to identify your location when requesting assistance or reporting incidents. Bakwena wishes all road users a safe and pleasant journey along the N1N4 route this holiday season.
