Turn-off illegal
The spokesperson of the Department of Transport and Public Works, Byron la Hoe, confirmed that the turn-off to the Mossel Bay Magistrate's court is illegal.
However, he said that as "the magistrate's court is a public facility per the South African Road Traffic Signs Manual, it qualifies for local direction signage". Furthermore, it transpired that the magistrates court must or should have applied to the District Roads Engineer for direction signage.
This follows yet another accident on Louis Fourie Road recently. Three people sustained injuries when two vehicles were involved in an accident at the turn-off to the court building.
Signage
The Mossel Bay Advertiser and Home Ads News asked La Hoe why directional signage is not supplied to warn oncoming traffic of the busy turn-off.
He said: "The magistrate's court is a public facility which, as per the South African Road Traffic Signs Manual, qualifies for local direction signage.
"Local direction signage must be applied for from the department. The applicant facility becomes responsible for the costs associated with the procurement and set-up of the sign/s, if approved/granted."
La Hoe confirmed that the access, located at kilometre 5.5 on Louis Fourie Road formally known as Trunk Road 33 - is illegal. No approval was granted (for the turn-off) by the Department of Transport and Public Works, under whose jurisdiction the road lies.
New access route
The Mossel Bay Municipality confirmed that plans to relocate the access route are well advanced.
If everything goes according to schedule, the municipality hopes to publish the tender for the new road by November and will hopefully commence with the work by January next year. The new access route will follow from Seder Road at the back of the Mosselbaai Mall.
The problem with the current access to the court building (and current graveyard) is exacerbated also by the 80km/h speed limit on Louis Fourie Road.
Without direction signage or other traffic calming measures, motorists - and pedestrians - are increasingly at risk when using Louis Fourie Road. Not only is the access road to the court buildings posing a problem, but the access roads to the municipal transfer station, the newlybuilt cemetery and even the South Cape College, also have no direction signs to warn motorists. Furthermore, considering the number of students who have to walk to college, the lack of a proper sidewalk along Louis Fourie Road further adds to the concerns about public safety.