Traffic volumes to peak

Traffic on the country's major highways will peak in the next few hours as thousands of holidaymakers return home from their Easter holiday destinations.

Authorities are closely monitoring the N1 south from Polokwane to Pretoria, the N4 from Nelspruit to Pretoria, the N1 north between the Western Cape and Mangaung and the N3 north from Durban.

The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) spokesperson Ashref Ismail said, “We’re currently located on the N3. We are expecting traffic volumes to peak at around 2pm - 3pm. We’re expecting over 2,000 vehicles at the various toll plazas.”

Preliminary figures show that at least 109 people have died on South African roads this Easter weekend.

It appears the final number of fatalities could be lower than 2011, when 297 people died on the roads over the Easter holidays.

Meanwhile, Gauteng traffic officials said motorists must expect no mercy on Monday as there will be roadblocks at all major routes leading into the province.

In Tshwane, traffic flow from Limpopo has been steadily increasing, as Zimbabweans and members of the Zion Christian Church (ZCC) make their way back.

Tshwane’s Console Tleane said, “By 11am, we were having 2,257 vehicles entering Tshwane through the N1.”

In the Western Cape, the province has failed to achieve its zero death target this Easter.

Eight people were killed on the province’s roads this weekend.

- EWN