SEVERAL runners have been injured while running in Musgrave and Glenwood, where broken street lights and badly maintained pavements are proving to be a dangerous combination. Members of Stella Athletics Club in Glenwood are at their wits’ end after trying to address the issue for about a year.
“From our club alone, there have been at least five people injured in the past five weeks. We have one or two people injured every week. It’s not just an issue for us, but everyone using the area. It also raises concerns for our safety in terms of crime. A few months back, a runner was mugged, so it’s one of the issues we are concerned about,” said Stella Athletics Club chairperson, Kevin Hendrikse.
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“One of our older runners fell in Musgrave and grazed his knee and elbow on Thursday. He was covered in blood when he got back to the club. One of our walkers fell off the pavement on Currie Road a few weeks ago. She now has two pins in her knee, and her arm was badly damaged,” added Gerald Van Wyk, a member of the club.
While it’s been more than a year since runner Charne Naude was injured, the streetlights have yet to be fixed. Naude was injured after tripping on a poorly lit pavement along Essenwood Road in May last year. Her lengthy healing process spanned more than six weeks, racking up a substantial medical bill for Naude.
“There are a substantial amount of manhole covers missing or covers that don’t fit correctly. I tripped on a manhole cover that was sticking out. Subsequently, I’ve got seven pins and a plate in my arm. Already then, we were running with torches in our hands because the lights weren’t working – you have to constantly watch out for missing manhole covers – the pavements are in a terrible state. There is also substantial litter on the roads,” said Naude.
However, lighting issues cropped up long before Naude’s fall.
“In the last two years, the streetlights have been bad along the routes we run,” said Van Wyk.
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He added that club members typically run near Bulwer Park and along Essenwood, Lena Ahrens and Z K Matthews roads.
“Those routes are very badly lit. There seems to be cable theft in the area. We have encouraged all our members to bring flashlights to prevent them from falling and to promote visibility. We also ask runners to wear reflective clothing. Some groups are leaving slightly earlier, although most people finish work at 16:30, and our runs start at 17:15. That’s the only time people can get there to run,” said Van Wyk.
The eThekwini Municipality was not available for a comment at the time of going to press.
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