The Minister of Transport has conveyed condolences to the families of the victims of the recent fatal motor vehicle crashes on the country’s national and provincial roads and has wished survivors a speedy recovery.

A statement issued by the Department of Transport says Transport Minister, Dipuo Peters, ‘Decries the worrisome national upsurge in fatal road crashes that has notably coincided with the Labour Day long weekend.’

The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) reports that between 29 April 2016 and 02 May 2016, a startling 179 road crashes occurred resulting in 237 fatalities.

While highlighting the most media-prominent of the 179 crashes, Peters said, “we are in the process of establishing facts that led to the gruesome deaths of the 13 people in Randfontein along the R41, the 8 people deceased along the N1 near the Nyl Plaza tollgate in Mokopane including 7 students from the Witwatersrand University.

“We have also noted with concern another incident that led to the death of 5 people in Cape Town”.

The statement says Peters has assigned special investigative teams to identify the root causes of these major accidents.

It further states that the national Department of Transport is working with the relevant provincial traffic departments, the RTMC, and the Road Accident Fund in order to provide support and assistance to the survivors of the victims.

“We share the pain and sorrow of those directly and indirectly affected by the recent spate of fatal crashes and we hope that our efforts to lighten the trauma will bring them relief and may they find comfort and healing in the compassion of the Lord Almighty,” added Peters.

Although investigations are still underway, it will be difficult to rule out the possibilities of speed, negligence and reckless driving by motorists. Peters urged all road users to be alert, to always obey the rules of the road and to drive safely in order to arrive alive.