Trucks pilling up on N4 towards Komati huge concern

KOMATIPOORT – For more than a week there has been a heavy-vehicle traffic jam of up to seven kilometres from the border post beyond the dry port.
It is not even the end of November and the traffic congestion on the N4 at Komatipoort is a nightmare. The heavy vehicles line up with short or no intervals and as a consequence access and egress from and to Komatipoort town, farms, hospitality entities and filling stations close to the border post itself have become inaccessible.
High-risk situations evolve where locals attempt to slip through the openings in between heavy vehicles. This crisis is mounting as more and more trucks seem to use the N4.

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In an attempt to understand and address the matter and to render support or solutions, organised business in Komatipoort met with the critical role players. A meeting was held this week with provincial traffic, Nkomazi Municipality Community Services, Nkomazi East Combined Commerce and Tourism Association (Neccta) and local neighbours to the N4. Duncan McEwan of Komati River Chalets, Paul Williams, farmer on the Mananga Road and Joe Dos Santos who has the supermarket at the BP Filling station, attended too.

Deputy director Wynand Labuschagne, traffic law enforcement operations provincial traffic, was part of a meeting between Sanral, TRAC and various other stakeholders before the meeting with Neccta this week. It is clear, said John O’Reilly and Jan Engelbrecht from Neccta, that provincial traffic are already attending to this crisis and had meetings scheduled to find a solution.
According to information available the problem hinges around a lack of available railway capacity. Enquiries about this remain unanswered.

At this stage it is about 200 more per day and the expectation is that by March 2020 another 300 will use this route.
The load of traffic causes a concertina effect with a pile-up that cannot be mitigated.
The information provincial traffic has is, according to official, Grey Vermeulen, the systems of government works optimally and hence the main cause of the build-up is purely the volume of more haulers.
Presently the consequential pains include that while the vehicles are stationary, especially at night, thieves and robbers take advantage of the situation and jump onto them, cut open sails and steal. This is observed by the truck drivers behind the vehicle under attack, and causes horn blowing and even shooting. McEwan mentioned that at a time 18 shots were fired. To international guests it is a serious concern.

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Furthermore access and egress from the secondary road into Komatipoort over the low-water bridge has become too high a risk to permit. TRAC painted soft warnings of where the trucks may be parked when stationary and yet it is inadequate to well address the potential risks. At the main entrance it is extremely dangerous to enter the crossing.
Proposals being considered include the temporary changing of the main entrance to a four-way stop. Provincial traffic deploys more staff in the immediate surrounds to ensure control Nkomazi Municipality will also attempt to supply more staff members to this end. Provincial traffic pursued the matter further and has meetings lined up with TRAC and other stakeholders to find interim and permanent solutions.

Neccta proposed the deployment of SANDF soldiers as additional law enforcement and this will be investigated. The SAPS deployment is either absent or far too few. Neccta will investigate and request more presence and action from SAPS. They will also find out when the rail freight will be reinstated.
In the best interest of safety and traffic flow it will be wise if Komatipoort inhabitants take the Ngwenya Road to and back from Mbombela.
Without direct traffic intervention the risk for smaller commuters is too high to permit usage of this road in as far as the pile-up of trucks continues to exist.
Provincial traffic shall engage with the dry port to request them to accommodate the trucks inside the dry port area instead of lining up onto the N4.

The municipality has been requested to assist in the manufacturing of road signs and the blocking off of the secondary road while the crisis is at hand.
“This is not an easy matter to manage and we invite proposals and suggestions from all Onderbergers to address and resolve the immediate crisis. Prevention is better than cure, and we need to plan now before the mass crisis dawns upon the town within 45 days from now,” said Engelbrecht.
Corridor Gazette will keep readers informed.