Motorists still waiting for traffic lights to be fixed

AFTER months of non-functioning traffic lights at the busy intersection of Bellair Road and King Cetshwayo Highway, motorists and pedestrians are still awaiting answers as to why the matter was not dealt with for so long.

Several motorists told City Watch that they felt the municipality had left them to fend for themselves for longer than was acceptable.

Eugene Moodley, who uses the intersection twice daily, cannot remember exactly when the traffic lights stopped working.

“I live in Asherville and pass through this intersection every morning during peak hour traffic from Monday to Friday as I am the principal of a school on Bellair Road,” he said.

“It is a very busy intersection, especially in the mornings.

“It is very dangerous because motorists do not treat is as a four-way stop, as one should when traffic lights are out of order,” Moodley added. Mthokozisi Mthembu, a taxi driver who ferries pupils to schools in the area, said no traffic control officer was ever at the intersection.

“This is a hot spot for accidents. I have seen quite a few and, although not fatal, there is a danger and lives are at risk,” said Mthembu.

He said the situation was worse when it rained as road surfaces become slippery and some drivers refused to reduce their speed.

“What I don’t understand is that there are traffic lights, but they don’t work. They just need to be fixed.

“Providing metro police officers during peak time would make a world of difference, because drivers are selfish and can cause accidents,” he said.

S’thembiso Ntuli, a street vendor in the area, said he had seen minor accidents and warned that a big collision was inevitable.

“When everyone is rushing in the morning, drivers and pedestrians are impatient. There are many schoolchildren crossing this road, some very young, and I worry about them,” Ntuli said.

He said the broken traffic lights also posed a danger to vendors “because in a collision, cars can even come up to the pavement and hit us”.

“I have no idea why the traffic lights are not working, but I suspect cable theft,” he added.

Residents at an informal settlement bordering Bellair Road told City Watch that, recently, three people were injured after a driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a house on Bellair Road.

Thozama Ntintili told City Watch that the accident happened just after 7pm. She said three occupants from the house sustained injuries, and were stabilised on the scene by paramedics and taken to hospital.

“Cars are just flying up and down here. That is putting our lives at risk because they veer off the road or collide into our homes, often at night when we are sleeping. At least when there were robots they used to yield and stop,” Ntintili said.

Although Moodley provided City Watch with reference numbers of previous complaints, the city maintained it was not aware of the matter.

“The relevant unit has been tasked with attending to the matter,” a statement from the city said.