Traffic on the N4 Toll Route will increase dramatically in December and January and as concessionaires of this road, Trans African Concessions (TRAC) has been hard at work preparing to accommodate this escalation.
December is traditionally one of the busiest times of the year on the N4 toll road with thousands of motorists travelling between Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Mozambique. It is therefore imperative for TRAC to facilitate the implementation of road-safety measures and the availability of 24-hour rapid, roadside assistance and response.
This will be done with the TRAC N4 December Campaign which officially started December 11, 2015 and ends January 03, 2016. Road safety on the N4 Toll Route will be the focus of this campaign as will rapid response time to incidents and accidents that occur on this road during this heavy traffic period.
Last Friday, on the 11th of December, TRAC held activations at the Alzu Petroport in Middelburg and at specific spots along the 570km route. This will be repeated on January 3rd.
The activation saw a large contingency of emergency services, including the TRAC Helpdesk and TracAssist, stationed at this rest stop from 10:00 to 22:00. From there they are dispatched simultaneously in the event of an incident or accident, thus decreasing response time to emergencies. The participating emergency services will include ambulances, paramedics, Fire and Rescue, provincial traffic, pathology units, TRAC Accident Response, TRAC Helpdesk and TRAC Road Assist Response.
Smaller response units will also be stationed at strategic points on the toll route – namely Bronkhorstspruit, Middelburg, Milly’s and Nelspruit – in an effort to enhance incident/accident response time even more.
The campaign will also be in full swing across the border – in Mozambique – where Emergency Services and TracAssist will be stationed at the newly opened Pessene Load Control Centre on both days.
The TRAC N4 December Campaign will be led by TRACAssist and the TRAC 24-hour helpdesk, which will act as the communications hub. The TRAC helpdesk is usually the first to be alerted of incidents on the road and therefore plays a vital role in this initiative.
TRAC Helpdesk operators will be on duty throughout the campaign to notify and call out the emergency services teams from the central dispatch area and to keep motorists, media and all relevant parties up to speed on the situation, off and on the road. The safety and well-being of the users of the N4 Toll Route is TRAC’s primary concern and everyone using this road this holiday season is urged to make full use of this initiative by calling the TRAC Helpdesk on 0800 87 22 64 for quick assistance and response to any problem
During both activations at Alzu, TRAC’s helpdesk will also be handing out promotional items which focus on road safety tips and route advice.
Because of the heavy traffic en route to the Lebombo Border Post in Komatipoort, TRAC will again work hand in hand with the Lebombo Border Control Operational Coordinating Committee (BCOCC) and help with traffic management measures. This is in a bid to prevent major delays and disruptions on the N4 toll road and at the border itself.
TRAC will assist through the provision of several logistical requirements and by issuing traffic control information fliers to motorists.
FleetWatch urges all road users to link hands with TRAC behind its slogan, which reads: “Road safety is our concern, celebrating life is our priority!”