SOUTH AFRICA - OVER 100 PEOPLE KILLED ON OUR ROADS THIS EASTER WEEKEND

More than 100 people have been killed on the country's roads over the Easter weekend.

Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi has appealed to motorists to obey traffic rules as they make their way back home.

"I would like to appeal to drivers to drive safely. Observe the rules of the road; see to it that whatever vehicle that you are driving is roadworthy. Also, we want to appeal to pedestrians because we also experience a problem with them to make sure that we observe the rules of the road because one life is too many."

The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) says nearly 20 000 fines have been issued during the Easter weekend.

More than 800 drivers have been arrested for drunken driving, speeding as well as reckless and negligent driving.

“Chief among the traffic violations this season has been, speeding, driving without licenses, overloading including drunk and driving and as people come back, we are urging them to exercise patience. We all must get home safe. It’s not competition, but we must corporate with each other to ensure roads are safe,” says RTMC Spokesperson, Simon Zwane.

"The accidents that we see this year are more than the accidents we experienced last year"
At least 300 cars per hour passed on major routes on Monday.

Law Enforcement Authority Spokesperson Manie Deck says so far there have been only three serious accidents.

"The accidents that we see this year are more than the accidents we experienced last year. According to that, we can say that there was more traffic flow this year. We have also arrested people for drunk and driving over the weekend which also shows that people are still not obeying the rules of the road."

Eastern Cape traffic authorities have also urged motorists to exercise caution on the roads.

Traffic volumes have increased on a number of roads in the province.

Twenty-two people have been killed on Western Cape roads since the start of the Easter Weekend. Provincial Traffic Chief, Kenny Africa, says traffic volumes have increased as people head home.

Africa says around 2 800 vehicles per hour are travelling on the N2 over Sir Lowrys Pass towards Cape Town.

“The most gruesome accident was yesterday on the N7 just outside Klawer where a Corsa motor vehicle, the driver thereof, overtook in the face of oncoming traffic and collided head on with a passenger bus. In this accident all, eight occupants in the Corsa motor vehicle lost their lives. So, there were two head on collisions over this weekend. In the one, eight people died and the other one was a motorcyclist and his passenger who also overtook on the wrong side of the road.”

One person has died and another suffered serious injuries in a multi-car crash on the N2 between Baden Powell Drive and Macassar in the Cape Peninsula.

Three vehicles were involved in the accident, which may have been caused by cattle walking across the highway.

Africa says, “The N2 is totally blocked outgoing towards Somerset West and the road is extremely busy on both sides. Vehicles are bumper to bumper. The medical rescue personal are at the scene of the accident.”

SABC News visited stations and taxi ranks and spoke to commuters.

“We are here to look for buses to go back to Cape Town, but unfortunately, buses are fully booked and we might use a taxi. We are rushing to a taxi station. I need to be at work tomorrow."

VIA - sabc