The Eastern Cape Transport Department is optimistic about maintaining a decline in road fatalities through the holiday season. Officials report fewer deaths compared to the previous year amid heightened traffic. Enhanced roadblocks and enforcement aim to curb risky behaviors like speeding and hit-and-runs.
The Eastern Cape Transport Department has expressed hope for sustaining a downward trend in road fatalities as the festive period continues. According to the department, the number of road deaths in the province has decreased compared to the same time last year, even as traffic volumes reach their peak.
To address this, authorities have established multiple roadblocks throughout the region, including a significant one at Kei Bridge near Butterworth. These measures are part of intensified efforts to monitor and regulate traffic during the busy holiday rush.
Provincial Transport MEC Xolile Nqata highlighted concerns over increasing hit-and-run incidents and drivers using concealed entry points to evade checks. "We have identified notorious spots in the province. We have deployed accordingly. But we have detected that people are finding ways to bypass those hotspots, but even there we have deployed accordingly. There is no corner now to hide in the province … law enforcement officers, you will find them everywhere. The best thing is for road users to comply and ensure that they don’t speed, and drive according to the speed limit," Nqata stated.
This deployment strategy seeks to eliminate safe havens for non-compliant drivers, promoting adherence to speed limits and safer road practices across the Eastern Cape.
