Cape Town - The combination of a dramatic motor vehicle accident on the N1 and a Metrorail power failure caused commuter chaos for Cape Town on Friday.
A man and a woman travelling towards the city on the N1 at about 5am were seriously injured when the driver lost control of the car and it rolled on the downhill section of the highway at the Plattekloof off-ramp.
The couple were critically injured and their car, a Mini Cooper S, destroyed.
The road was closed and commuter traffic had to be diverted to Jip de Jager and Frans Conradie roads, said traffic department spokesman Richard Coleman.
By 7am, traffic officers at the scene were able to open the left and centre lanes of the highway, but there were still major delays for motorists as a result of the smash.
Meanwhile, Cape Town Station experienced an hour-long power failure on Friday morning, affecting all signals into and out of the station, said Metrorail spokeswoman Riana Scott.
The power went off at 5.25am, effectively preventing arrivals at and departures from all 24 of the station’s platforms.
Technicians managed to restore power at 6.36am, leaving inbound trains in a holding pattern outside Cape Town Station, waiting for platforms to be allocated for their arrival, Scott said.
Major delays were recorded, with some trains held up by more than 60 minutes.
The incident also caused knock-on delays at stations further down the various lines.
Regional Manager Richard Walker apologised to commuters and their employers. He assured the public that every effort wouldbe made to prevent a recurrence.
Commuters who require proof of delays for employers may request letters of confirmation at stations or register for the “E-mail my boss” option on the mobi-site www.GoMetroApp.com, he said.
Cape Argus