Zululand District Mayor Thulasizwe Buthelezi has proposed that truck drivers only drive at night in an effort to reduce road carnage in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
His suggestion follows the death earlier this month in Pongola of 18 children aged five to twelve, as well as two adults, in a truck collision.
He added that traffic volumes would not decrease.
“The trucks add little value to the local economy but cause significant infrastructure damage at any time of day or night. The only benefit is that local businesses may be able to access their facilities during the day.”
The rail system has failed.
Patterson believed that the failure of the rail system was the “cause of the problem,” and that many products should be transported by rail rather than trucks.
“The rail network upgrades should begin immediately and be expedited, and the road network should be assessed to find ways to improve traffic flow, but all of this is long term.”
He suggested that another intervention could be a stricter control of the number of vehicles on the road at any given time, as well as “full-time policing of vehicle roadworthiness and driver qualifications.”
“Drivers and their employers should be disciplined and forced to follow traffic laws and show consideration for other road users. The current situation is intolerable and cannot be sustained without drastic changes “He stated.
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