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Incident management is an integral part of the management procedure of any toll road or highway. Because lives maybe at stake, it is one of the more critical aspects of overall administration.

When we talk about an ‘incident’ we do not mean just vehicle accidents. An incident is the occurrence of an extraordinary condition or event which could result in a reduction of road capacity or create a hazard for road users for a sustained period of time. In other words this includes floods, mist or even fires.

N3TC is fully aware of this and has developed a strategy designed to assist emergency personnel and other authorities to expedite their services.

The overall aim of any incident management system is the rapid detection of all incidents on the highway and minimise the time it takes to restore the road to optimum functionality. This is expedited along the following lines:

• Verification of the extent of the problem
• Co-ordinate the appropriate response
• Establish a forward control point and set up communication channels between the responding parties and
• Ongoing monitoring of the incident.

A 24 hr Route Patrol Service provided by the Concessionaire will trigger these processes.

A working agreement exists with cellular telephone service providers to direct emergency calls to established crisis control centres who then perform the

function of activating appropriate response.

It is important that emergency responses are not duplicated; hence the need for strict control and co-ordination. This approach helps optimise-limited resources.

All aspects of incident management have been investigated and catered for, making for rapid and efficient management of the highway in any emergency.

Vehicle operators should take cognisance of their responsibility in this regard and educate their drivers on what steps and procedures they should take in an emergency. Particularly important is notifying authorities of the exact location of the incident. This is made possible by using route markers, situated at regular intervals along the route. All the driver has to do is tell the emergency services the number on the nearest route marker and they will do the rest. It helps them to get to the scene within the ‘golden hour.’

Assisting all road users to be able to do just this will be a new GSM (cellular) telephone network that will replace all existing SOS telephones along the route. The replacement of the system, will commence at the outset of the contract. The new system will provide a better and more reliable service.

What we are saying in fact is that the smooth running and management of the N3 highway will be a symbiotic relationship between the road users and the managers of the road. Both sides should share a collective vision on the benefits

and advantages the new highway provides. Co-operation is the primary key to success.