MEDIA ALERT

MEC BHEKI CELE PROMISES A SAFE TRAVEL TO ALL COMRADES RUNNERS AND SUPPORTERS

KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport's Road traffic Inspectorate has been a major role player to the prestigious Comrades Marathon over the past fifty years, this year's race will once again highlight the importance of all Traffic authorities along the Eighty-Nine Kilometer route.

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Mr. Bheki Cele said "RTI will provide additional manpower along the National and Provincial routes to ensure safe travel of participants, families and supporters who will converge in Pietermaritzburg today on the Comrades eve". "This manpower will also be provided after Comrades to take care of the volumes of traffic that will be exiting the province", he added.

The Department will provide 180 RTI Officers, Air Traffic Surveillance and Traffic Communication Centers that will add support to the race and ensure that the day is incidence free. "On the race day our officers will be deployed at strategic points as early as 05h00 am for timeous closure of roads and intersections, Cele said. He said "motorists stopping on the freeway and demarcated areas will be prosecuted in terms of the National Road Traffic Act, and drivers who will leave their vehicles unattended too will have their cars towed and impounded thereafter costs incurred will be borne by the respective vehicle owners".

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