Before the Easter weekend had even started, the death toll on Eastern Cape roads this week was already six deaths more than those killed during the entire Easter weekend in 2016.
Authorities now fear this year’s statistics may exceed last year’s Easter toll of 28.
Already 21 people had perished from four separate accidents on provincial roads this week. These deaths come days before thousands of people travel to their different destinations for the long weekend.
From today there is expected to be a huge spike in traffic, and transport MEC Weziwe Tikana yesterday sounded the alarm.
Provincial health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo confirmed before 3pm yesterday that one person was killed when a car transporting people from Welkom to Libode overturned near Barkly East.
The SA Council of Churches (SACC) also confirmed that Reverend Khulile Shadrack Ketse, 73, who was in the Translux bus that overturned on Wednesday succumbed to his injuries in hospital yesterday, bringing the death toll from that accident from four to five. SACC provincial chairman Reverend Lulama Ntshingwa confirmed that Ketse’s injured wife Nomawonga was being treated at the Frontier Hospital in Komani.
Addressing the media at the department of transport’s provincial offices in King William’s Town yesterday, Tikana said the latest road fatality statistics were “shocking and alarming”, adding that things could get even worse as thousands of people would be heading to the province for their Easter weekend holiday.
Tikana said in 2016, there were 48 recorded accidents with 14 fatalities during the Easter weekend, while during the same period last year, the number of deadly crashes dropped to 21, but 28 were killed.
Reflecting on the two bus crashes that killed 18 people on Wednesday, Tikana said preliminary reports “indicate that mechanical failure may have been a huge contributing factor in both accidents”.
“Our analysis of these crashes indicate that human error is one of the major contributing factors in these road crashes.
“We are alarmed. This is indeed a sad state of affairs and calls for a change of behaviour from our motorists,” she said.
“I am very shocked and saddened by the senseless loss of lives on our roads. These incidents have left us shell-shocked as we had high hopes of reducing fatalities during this Easter weekend.”
The MEC was talking about the Vaal Maseru bus that veered off the road, killing 13 people and injuring 48 on the R58 between Khowa and Ngcobo around 11am on Wednesday.
At about 9pm the same day, a Translux bus travelling from East London to Pretoria lost control and overturned on the “friendly” N6 route between Komani and Jamestown.
It has now claimed five lives, while scores of other passengers were seriously injured. On Tuesday two people were killed when the car they were travelling in collided with a Translux bus near Qumbu.
While the accidents were tragic and a sensitive matter, Tikana said: “We hope that the shock waves we felt will reverberate to all our road users, sending a clear message that we should all drive with utmost care and caution.”
The Road Traffic Management Corporation, according to Tikana, has already sent specialist crash scene investigators “to try and lay bare the events that led to the two crashes”.
“These two horrific crashes are receiving our attention and an in-depth investigation will be conducted,” she said.
Tikana also revealed that her department would soon be investigating operations of Vaal Maseru Bus Company because they had received many requests from concerned commuters to probe the company.
The same bus company was involved in a deadly 2009 accident on the same R58 route, not far from where Wednesday’s accident occurred. Then, ten people were killed and 48 injured.
The provincial government, Tikana said, would offer “emotional support” to the families of the deceased.
To prevent further carnage during this period, Tikana said they would strengthen traffic law enforcement visibility.
“With regards to our law enforcement, we will assess our operations with a view to strengthening our work. We will also heighten our operations with the SAPS in collaboration with the provinces we share borders with such as Western Cape, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal.”
Transport spokeswoman Khuselwa Rantjie yesterday said two more people were fortunate to escape with minor injuries when a truck they were in overturned and caught fire on the R410 on Wednesday between Cacadu (formerly Lady Frere) and Komani. — asandan@dispatch.co.za
21 killed on roads days before Easter
Authorities now fear this year’s statistics may exceed last year’s Easter toll of 28.
Already 21 people had perished from four separate accidents on provincial roads this week. These deaths come days before thousands of people travel to their different destinations for the long weekend.
From today there is expected to be a huge spike in traffic, and transport MEC Weziwe Tikana yesterday sounded the alarm.
Provincial health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo confirmed before 3pm yesterday that one person was killed when a car transporting people from Welkom to Libode overturned near Barkly East.
The SA Council of Churches (SACC) also confirmed that Reverend Khulile Shadrack Ketse, 73, who was in the Translux bus that overturned on Wednesday succumbed to his injuries in hospital yesterday, bringing the death toll from that accident from four to five. SACC provincial chairman Reverend Lulama Ntshingwa confirmed that Ketse’s injured wife Nomawonga was being treated at the Frontier Hospital in Komani.
Addressing the media at the department of transport’s provincial offices in King William’s Town yesterday, Tikana said the latest road fatality statistics were “shocking and alarming”, adding that things could get even worse as thousands of people would be heading to the province for their Easter weekend holiday.
Tikana said in 2016, there were 48 recorded accidents with 14 fatalities during the Easter weekend, while during the same period last year, the number of deadly crashes dropped to 21, but 28 were killed.
Reflecting on the two bus crashes that killed 18 people on Wednesday, Tikana said preliminary reports “indicate that mechanical failure may have been a huge contributing factor in both accidents”.
“Our analysis of these crashes indicate that human error is one of the major contributing factors in these road crashes.
“We are alarmed. This is indeed a sad state of affairs and calls for a change of behaviour from our motorists,” she said.
“I am very shocked and saddened by the senseless loss of lives on our roads. These incidents have left us shell-shocked as we had high hopes of reducing fatalities during this Easter weekend.”
The MEC was talking about the Vaal Maseru bus that veered off the road, killing 13 people and injuring 48 on the R58 between Khowa and Ngcobo around 11am on Wednesday.
At about 9pm the same day, a Translux bus travelling from East London to Pretoria lost control and overturned on the “friendly” N6 route between Komani and Jamestown.
It has now claimed five lives, while scores of other passengers were seriously injured. On Tuesday two people were killed when the car they were travelling in collided with a Translux bus near Qumbu.
While the accidents were tragic and a sensitive matter, Tikana said: “We hope that the shock waves we felt will reverberate to all our road users, sending a clear message that we should all drive with utmost care and caution.”
The Road Traffic Management Corporation, according to Tikana, has already sent specialist crash scene investigators “to try and lay bare the events that led to the two crashes”.
“These two horrific crashes are receiving our attention and an in-depth investigation will be conducted,” she said.
Tikana also revealed that her department would soon be investigating operations of Vaal Maseru Bus Company because they had received many requests from concerned commuters to probe the company.
The same bus company was involved in a deadly 2009 accident on the same R58 route, not far from where Wednesday’s accident occurred. Then, ten people were killed and 48 injured.
The provincial government, Tikana said, would offer “emotional support” to the families of the deceased.
To prevent further carnage during this period, Tikana said they would strengthen traffic law enforcement visibility.
“With regards to our law enforcement, we will assess our operations with a view to strengthening our work. We will also heighten our operations with the SAPS in collaboration with the provinces we share borders with such as Western Cape, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal.”
Transport spokeswoman Khuselwa Rantjie yesterday said two more people were fortunate to escape with minor injuries when a truck they were in overturned and caught fire on the R410 on Wednesday between Cacadu (formerly Lady Frere) and Komani. — asandan@dispatch.co.za
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