Traffic on N1 to Limpopo picks up as pilgrims head to Moria

Traffic has started to build up on the N1 between Gauteng and Limpopo. This as hundreds of ZCC members head to Moria in Polokwane for the Easter weekend pilgrimage.

About 120 extra law enforcement officers have been deployed to the province.

Transport and Community Safety MEC Violet Mathye led a stop and search operation at Nyl Toll Plaza outside Polokwane this morning.

“During our preparatory meetings we were with the delegation from the two churches and they have also given us their travel plans. To say, when they come from Gauteng or wherever RTMC will be monitoring their movement until they reach Moria. So, with us when they reach here, some of them will be escorted so that they reach Moria being safe. RTMC has given us about 120 traffic officers adding to others that we are having already. So, we are ready and we are going to make sure that on that road there’s more police visibility.”

KZN launches new gadget in law enforcement

The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Transport Department has launched a gadget that will assist law enforcement agencies in ensuring road safety.

The Automatic Number Recognition system that is fitted to patrol vehicles allows officers to conduct an intelligence-driven roadblocks to detect unroadworthy vehicles.

MEC Siboniso Duma officially launched the gadget during a roadblock at the Mariannhill Toll Plaza in Durban ahead of the Easter weekend.

Duma says law enforcement agencies have been deployed in all corners of the province.

“That gadget Ummemezi wezimoto is able to detect an unroadworthy vehicles, it is able to detect a stolen vehicle, it is able to tell you that the driver’s license has expired. There is no correspondence between the vehicle from the vehicle and the VIN number, it is very advanced it takes almost 4 minutes just to finalise all the processes. It means that it is going to fast track the processes. We are using that cutting edge technology, people will know that in the province of KwaZulu-Natal things are up to date, things are aligned and almost everything that is not adhering to the law we will do something in terms of consequence management.”

Meanwhile, the taxi industry in the Eastern Cape has called on their drivers to exercise extra caution when ferrying passengers to various destinations across the province.

Parts of the province have been experiencing wet weather conditions. Various associations have been conducting tests to check the conditions of vehicles for safety, particularly those who will be driving long distances.

The Public Relations Officer for the East London and Mdantsane Taxis, Welile Blayi says he is hoping for an incident free Easter weekend.

“We checked the tyres, the fitness of the vehicles everything, the wipers they are up to date. Our taxis are up to standard to ferry passengers to any destination from today onwards.”