Roads not so busy over Easter

Published Mar 29, 2013

Share

Johannesburg - Roads are not as busy as expected over Easter, including one of the busiest routes between Limpopo and Gauteng, traffic authorities said on Friday.

“So far nothing major has been reported and the roads are not as busy as we expected,” Road Traffic Management Corporation spokesman Ashref Ismail said.

“However, we are concerned at people who do not buckle up, overload and do not follow the correct following distances. People should exercise extreme caution on the road,” he said.

Ismail said motorists should ensure that their cars are road worthy before they travel and do all the necessary safety checks.

Meanwhile, Limpopo road and transport spokesman Joshua Kwapa said traffic along the N1 North and the R101 between Polokwane and Limpopo was flowing.

“There has been no major incidents on the roads mainly because of an agreement we have with bus companies,” Kwapa said.

“It was agreed that buses would leave Gauteng for Moria in Limpopo by 12 midnight. That has helped considerably in terms of congestion,” said Kwapa.

Roads in Limpopo experience huge traffic volumes every Easter, due to thousands of Zion Christian Church members flocking to Moria City, outside Polokwane, for their annual pilgrimage.

Kwapa said traffic had subsided since Thursday but was expected to pick up on Saturday.

“People should exercise patience. Our main problem is people driving at a high speed and we urge people to obey the rules of the road,” he added.

Meanwhile, between 9am and 10am on Friday 3100 cars per hour were counted at the Phumlani Toll Plaza on the N1 direction north, Tshwane metro police spokesman Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said.

“Our main roads in Tshwane have been very quiet because traffic shifted to our highways,” he said.

“There have been no major accidents reported or arrests made but we urge motorists to exercise caution at all times. - Sapa

Related Topics: