Festive Season Travel: Bakwena Highway Expects Traffic Spike on Christmas Eve
- Heavy traffic is expected on the Bakwena Highway on 24 December and Christmas Eve as festive travel intensifies
- The Bakwena Platinum Corridor has already recorded more than 2,000 vehicles passing through Pumulani Toll Plaza, with volumes set to rise further
- Motorists have been urged to plan their journeys carefully and exercise extra caution during peak travel periods
Source: Getty Images
With the festive season in full swing, the Bakwena Highway is expected to experience significantly heavier traffic on 24 December 2025 and on Christmas Eve. Motorists have been urged to plan their trips carefully, remain patient, and stay alert during these peak travel periods.
According to eNCA, the Bakwena Platinum Corridor Concessionaire has observed increased traffic volumes much earlier this year, coinciding with the closure of schools on 5 December 2025. This early surge has raised concerns about congestion as the festive period reaches its peak.
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Bakwena spokesperson Solomon Kganyago said that while every festive season presents different traffic patterns, volumes are expected to rise sharply in the days leading up to Christmas and New Year’s Day.
“So we can expect a lot of travellers on the 24th, heading north for Christmas and possibly again around New Year’s Day. On our route, the busiest toll plaza is Pumulani Plaza, which we use to measure traffic volumes,” Kganyago said.
He further revealed that more than 2,000 vehicles passed through Pumulani Toll Plaza over the weekend, with expectations that traffic would exceed that number throughout the afternoon and into the early evening in the coming days.
Motorists have once again been urged to prioritise safety, exercise caution on the roads, and ensure they arrive at their destinations alive during these high-risk travel times.
Taxi associations sign pledge to road safety ahead of festive season peak
As traffic volumes increase, public transport safety has also come under the spotlight. In an effort to make the festive season safer for passengers, taxi drivers and associations have pledged their commitment to road safety following the launch of a campaign by the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO).
According to SABC News, the pledge was signed at the Noord Taxi Rank on 18 December 2025, in response to growing concerns that taxis are increasingly involved in fatal accidents during the festive season. SANTACO Gauteng spokesperson Sabata Mbobo said strict measures would be enforced to protect commuters, including a ban on passengers consuming alcohol while travelling.
Statistics reveal taxis were involved in 53% of major accidents during the 2024 festive season
These safety pledges come amid alarming statistics released by the Department of Transport. The department’s 2024 data painted a grim picture of major accidents involving taxis during the festive season, with KwaZulu-Natal recording the highest number of fatalities, followed by Gauteng.
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy revealed that 1,502 people died in crashes during the 2023/2024 festive season. A total of 1,234 fatal crashes were recorded, with KwaZulu-Natal accounting for 304 deaths from 247 crashes.
Arrive Alive CEO Advocate Johan Jonck told Briefly News that adverse weather conditions, including wet and rainy conditions in KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga, may have contributed significantly to the high number of accidents.
Source: Getty Images
Briefly reports on major N1 accidents
Previously Brielfy reported on concerns about road safety have been reinforced by several deadly accidents reported along the N1 highway. In one horrific incident, at least 42 people were killed in a bus crash near Limpopo on 12 October 2025. The long-distance bus was travelling from Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape to Harare, Zimbabwe, when it overturned between Louis Trichardt and Musina.
Officials confirmed that among the injured were several children, including a 10-month-old baby girl. The victims were identified as Malawian and Zimbabwean nationals. Tragically, all three drivers involved in the crash lost their lives.
In another incident, Briefly previously reported that Limpopo police were investigating the circumstances surrounding a fatal crash on the N1-25 on 16 December 2025, in which a two-year-old child was killed. The crash reportedly occurred shortly after midday when a Volkswagen sedan and a Mercedes-Benz collided head-on near Tobias.
The initial collision triggered a multi-vehicle accident, leaving three people injured. Early investigations suggested that reckless driving was the primary cause of the crash.
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Source: Briefly News
