Polokwane – Traffic Authorities in Limpopo on Monday said the province had recorded a decline in road fatalities during the Easter weekend.
Transport spokesperson Kaiso Mootane said so far 19 deaths had been recorded in road crashes, which was less than half of the 49 recorded last year during the same period.
“We would like to thank motorists who were obedient to the road traffic rules and help reduce deaths toll and they must continue to abide by the rules,” she said.
Mootane said traffic officers “continue to show commitment” to their work despite having lost a colleague on Sunday in a hit-and-run incident. The traffic officer, attached to Greater Tzaneen municipality, was knocked down while on duty along R37 road.
“Though we are sad and disappointed by what happened on Sunday, we are happy that our officials continue to maintain presence on the roads,” said Mootane.
The driver, who allegedly ran away, has since been arrested.
At least 71 vehicle crashes were reported in Limpopo – a significant decline when compared to the 125 smashes in 2015.
Mootane said vehicles found to be unroadworthy, including mini bus taxis, were removed from the road.
The worst incident recorded so far in Limpopo was a pile-up involving more than nine cars, which left three people dead and several others injured on Thursday.
Mootane said traffic volumes picked up along the N1 north on Monday as motorists returned to Gauteng and other provinces. Thousands of the motorists were congregants returning from a ZCC Easter gathering in Moria, Limpopo.
African News Agency (ANA)