Wrong way drivers irk Walton Place residents
A resident is urging Metro Police to fine people ignoring the 'one way' and 'no entry' signs on Walton Place.
JUANITA Davis has lady luck on her side after narrowly escaping three head-on collisions with vehicles who enter Walton Place, Umbilo from the wrong side.
According to Davis, Walton Place is a one way from Sphiwe Zuma Avenue to Hutchinson Road. There is a ‘no entry’ sign as well as a ‘one way’ sign erected at the entrance of the road, however. Davis says these signs are so small people tend to ignore them.
“In this past week I narrowly escaped three accidents with cars entering from the wrong side of Walton Place. There were cars parked on both sides of the road and big trucks half on the pavement, there was nowhere to go and the driver in the wrong would not back down. If it was not for my passenger on one of these occasions, I would have had a head on, as I could not see a taxi coming from the wrong side due to the truck obscuring my view of the exit to Walton Place. These trucks park opposite Iris Court and numerous complaints have been sent to Metro Police from a tenant in Iris Court,” said Davis.
She said cars and taxis enter from the exit point to Walton Place and travel contraflow to the traffic in Sphiwe Zuma Avenue, to go down Sphiwe Zuma Avenue.
“They are too lazy to use Selbourne Road which runs into the traffic circle in Sphiwe Zuma Avenue. I can’t see what difference it would make in their travelling time as Sphiwe Zuma Avenue also meets up with the traffic circle,” she said.
Davis said she felt if Metro Police had to patrol the road for a day or two and fined every one driving contraflow to the traffic, it could make a difference. She said bigger road signs were required at the exit of Walton Place. She also suggested truck drivers who park at the end of Walton Place opposite Iris Court needed to be fined.
In response to queries, eThekwini Municipality’s spokesperson, Thulani Mbatha, said: “The City’s Metro Police will enforce by-laws accordingly.
In terms of the request for bigger signage, the request will be investigated and action will be taken if deemed necessary. However, it must be noted that minimum sign sizes are stipulated in the Road Traffic Act. We will look at what sizes are adequate for motorists’ needs, as bigger signs should not deter drivers from following the law.”
