Accident involving two trucks along the N3 Southbound, just after Peter Brown
Inkosi Mhlabunzima Maphumulo House: Our dedicated team from the Road Traffic Inspectorate has briefed me about an accident involving two trucks along the N3 Southbound just after Peter Brown off-ramp.
It is suspected that one of the trucks experienced brake failure.
I am awaiting a full report from the RTI team.
KwaZulu-Natal, as a logistics hub, with two ports, means there are many trucks transporting goods for exports and imports.
We, however, remain extremely concerned about accidents involving trucks.
We have stated in the past that these crashes have resulted in congestion on our roads, and we have also witnessed the loss of lives.
It is for these reasons that on the 10th April, 2025, ahead of the Easter Passover weekend and holiday, I tasked senior managers from the Department to put in place a turnaround strategy.
DOT management immediately met with the South African Freight Association and SANRAL.
The issue of accidents involving trucks was discussed, and how to alleviate truck congestion, especially when there are accidents.
We agreed on having more meetings with other main players such as EDTEA, Road Traffic Management Corporation, Transnet, Port Operators, Dube Trade Port, Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone, eThekwini Municipality, Umhlathuze Municipality, and other municipalities.
A turnaround strategy that was discussed involves establishing the following:
Congestion Response and Enforcement Workstream: We have seen truck congestion on the N3 and N2 in Richards Bay, Durban Harbour and Bayhead.
Rail Short Term Work Stream: This stream is focused on alleviating congestion by deploying wagons to move cargo from road to rail.
This is focused on developing a holistic approach for decongesting the Port and major arterial roads by creating additional capacity for future traffic and enforcing compliance with permit and traffic rules.
As we have indicated previously, our main focus, as outlined in the National Road Safety Strategy, is to foster a safer road environment for all users.
We are also steaming ahead with plans to move cargo from road to rail.
As the Department, we are working with the National Department of Transport and other key stakeholders such as Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager (TRIM) and a Transnet Freight Rail Operating Company (TFROC). South Africa’s rail network will cost between R80 billion and R400 billion.
KwaZulu-Natal, as a logistics hub with two ports, will benefit from this investment in the transport infrastructure.
Thousands of jobs will be created, and our status as a gateway to Africa and the world will be enhanced.
Statement issued by the MEC for Transport and Human Settlements
