Road safety protocol launched for North West Province. Travelling on the N4 & R566?

In response to recent road safety incidents targeting international tourists in the North West province, tourism stakeholders convened at Sun City this week to announce a swift action plan aimed at enhancing road safety.

Ms Lebo Diale, Acting Head of Department for Dedect North West, addressed the urgency of the situation, stating, “With the peak tourist season already underway, we had to move quickly. We met with key local and national stakeholders from tourism bodies, SAPS, private security entities, tourism operators, and our local communities for an urgent think tank.”

"To deal with the issue, we have deployed 35 vehicles along the N4, the R556, and other significant provincial routes. These vehicles will provide an escort to tour buses, as well as maintaining a visible security presence on these routes."

The vehicles commenced operations over the past weekend and are supported by a dedicated data collection centre capable of feeding information to SAPS about the movement of tourist buses. The data collection centre will send daily reports to SAPS and interface with the national tourism safety initiative.

Diale emphasised the importance of the collaborative effort between government, law enforcement, and the private sector, stating, "It was critical that as government, law enforcement, and the private sector, we all joined hands and put our heads together to come up with solutions."

"We are focusing on all routes into the province, but especially the N4 and the R556 routes, which lead to various game parks and resorts."

Addressing the broader impact of crime on tourism and job creation, Diale highlighted the province's commitment to tackling all forms of crime affecting the region.

Sun City’s CEO, Brett Hoppe, expressed satisfaction with the collaborative response, stating, "Sun City is one of many affected stakeholders in the Bojanala region who are reliant on tourism for our lifeblood."

He commended the prompt action taken by the provincial authorities, SAPS, private security entities, and the tourism industry, emphasizing the power of public and private partnership.

URGENT NOTICE

All trade, please see the below process should you be travelling to Sun City:

The Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation, and Tourism for the North West Provincial Government, has outlined a short-term plan to ensure the safety of all tourist conveyances entering the province on the affected route. The plan includes reporting significant group movements, escort services, and synchronization of actions with the National Tourism Safety Forum (NTSF):

• All tour operators, transport providers, hospitality establishments and mining communities on Bojanala Region, specifically on R556/N4 are requested to report significant group movements via email to EtelaNW@Suninternational.com / WhatsApp 064 859 6795 (message only)
• All tour operator conveyances are requested to exit the N4 at the weighbridge prior to the R556 exit at which point they will receive an escort to their destination 
• To ensure synchronisation of actions with the National Tourism Safety Forum (NTSF) 

For any enquiries:

Sarah Manone

(018) 388 5612/ 0823241637  

Email: sarah@nwpg.gov.za 

Download the full notice here.