The FF Plus submitted proposals for an integrated traffic safety plan to the Mpumalanga MEC for Public Works, Ms Mohita Latchminarian, to ensure better safety on the coal as well as the non-coal routes in Mpumalanga.
According to the latest report by Mpumalanga's provincial road network for coal and non-coal routes, coal trucks comprise up to 33%, and other trucks up to 48%, of all the traffic on provincial roads.
The report also indicates that provincial roads urgently need rehabilitation and upgrading. A staggering 29% of the province's roads are classified as "poor" to "very poor".
The R40 route through Hazyview, and especially around the De Rust T-junction, carries a lot of heavy traffic. Trucks transporting coal, cement and wooden poles are the ones causing the biggest problems.
Moreover, numerous trucks have lost control on the downhills and this has resulted in quite a few fatal accidents. A video clip of a run-away truck on this specific road can be viewed at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=473345840400173
The FF Plus proposed to the MEC that speedhumps, a sandpit for run-away trucks and a compulsory stop must be implemented at the Umbabha Estates Warehouse before the heavy vehicles take on the steep downhills of the mountain pass.
It will ensure that these trucks come to a stop and gear down to the right gear before going down the steep decline.
The FF Plus will insist that the Department implements its provincial traffic safety plan in order to create a safer environment for all vehicles, to prevent accidents and the needless loss of lives as well as to draw up a comprehensive maintenance plan to repair the poor road network.
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