Durban - The DA on Friday urged KwaZulu-Natal transport MEC Willies Mchunu to ban heavy vehicles from using Field's Hill in Pinetown.
“The ongoing use of Field's Hill as a route for heavy vehicles travelling to and from Durban has been a concern for many years,” Democratic Alliance MPL Radley Keys said in a statement.
“The DA has consistently campaigned - within the provincial legislature and at council level Ä for a ban on 'heavies' on this stretch of road.”
This comes after 27 people were killed when a truck crashed into four minibus taxis and a car on the M13 on Thursday night. Traffic officials said it appeared the brakes on the truck had failed.
Police spokesman Vincent Mdunge said 24 people were declared dead at the scene, and another three died on arrival at hospital. Traffic officials said on Thursday the M13 would be closed until Friday.
A Sapa reporter on scene said the road was reopened on Friday morning, the wreckage had been removed, and traffic was flowing as normal.
Homeless people were scavenging the site and going through what was left behind. Traffic lights at the intersection had malfunctioned, and no traffic police were on scene to direct traffic.
National Freedom Party leader Zanele KaMagwaza-Msibi said she was shocked and saddened by the incident. She called on the transport department to carry out an intensive investigation.
“Road accidents in the country costs our economy almost R30 billion and something must be done to reduce road accidents in our country,” she said in a statement. - Sapa