Johan Streicher, a business owner at Datakey Business Park in Glen Marais, has expressed his frustration with the ongoing issues of reckless driving and inadequate drainage along Monument Road, specifically just outside his premises.
The problems, Streicher said, began when the road was widened into a dual carriageway, which led to water drainage issues.
“There were some water problems with the drainage that required new drains to be built in the area,” he said.
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“Every time it rained, the whole area would flood. Even with the new drainage system, when we had a heavy downpour last week, this whole area became a huge puddle.
“The drainage is still not adequate for the amount of water that comes down Monument Road.”
In addition to the drainage issues, Streicher is concerned about speeding motorists in the area.
He pointed out that after crossing a single speedhump on Monument Road near Harvest Place, drivers often accelerate to dangerously high speeds.
“There are people who treat this stretch of road like a racing track,” he said.
The situation escalated on December 14, last year, when a BMW crashed into his wall.
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Streicher highlighted that this incident was not an isolated event, as there have been several accidents in the area.
He believes that traffic control measures, such as speed humps, are essential to addressing the reckless driving.
“The major problem here, besides the drainage and water issues, is the lack of traffic control,” said Streicher.
“You never even see an EMPD car here. I believe that speed humps could really help with the reckless driving in this area.”
In response to concerns about traffic safety, City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) spokesperson Zweli Dlamini explained the process for implementing traffic calming measures. Residents can submit a traffic calming measures request form to the ward councillor’s office or through the city’s website.
“The metro’s Roads and Stormwater Department evaluates every request for traffic calming measures in line with the National Road Traffic Act and the city’s policies,” Dlamini said.
“Methods like speed humps, raised pedestrian crossings, and mini-circles are considered based on national guidelines.”
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Dlamini also clarified that requests are evaluated and prioritised, and once a request is warranted, it is added to the waiting list for implementation after approval by the oversight committee.
For a request to be processed, the form must clearly identify the street or affected area, the desired location for the traffic calming measure, and a description of the problem.
The request must also be signed by the ward councillor and supported by residents in the area.
However, Dlamini noted that not all roads may qualify for traffic calming measures due to their classification.
“For instance, a Class 3 road is considered a ‘higher-order’ road, which may not warrant physical traffic calming measures as these roads are intended to function as access and mobility routes,” he said.
“Implementing methods like speed humps on such roads could negatively affect their intended functionality.”
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