Four pedestrians horrifically killed in car crash
The five women were on their way to work when a car crashed into them killing four of them.
And now residents of the area are pleading with authorities to site a zebra crossing in the area of the accident and in other areas closer to the informal settlement.
The road has also been given the nickname ”Anaconda”, because of the number of pedestrians who have been killed there.
They said the recent tragic deaths and several other previous pedestrian fatalities and injuries have highlighted the need for pedestrian crossings on that stretch of road, adding that these accidents are enough to get authorities to take action.
Thousands of people, including children, who live in the informal settlement have to cross the road to get to school, work and nearby shops.
The spot has, however, turned into one of the most accident-prone areas on Main Reef Road, and residents claim that there have been more accidents along the area than were reflected in official statistics.
Concerned residents said several people, including children, have already been run over, while others were killed by speeding vehicles.
The Advertiser recently spent a couple of hours monitoring the stretch of the road during the morning and afternoon peak hours, between Mondays and Fridays.
It was discovered that it’s a nightmare to cross this road during peak-hour traffic.
The danger became obvious as people had to risk their lives crossing the road while cars flew past at high speed.
This area is buzzing with people due to its close proximity to the informal settlement, taxi ranks, supermarkets, pubs, a train station and factories.
The road is heavily used by both heavy and small vehicles coming from both directions, causing uncertainty for people crossing the road.
Apart from the speeding vehicles, the Advertiser also noticed that there were neither signals for pedestrians to cross the road safely, nor traffic calming signs and road markings.
The area is also in complete darkness during the night as almost all the street lights in the area have been dysfunctional for sometimes now.
One of the community leaders, Solly Nonyane, said that, following the number of pedestrian fatalities and injuries on this stretch of road, the community leaders previously requested the metro to do something about the problem – and authorities promised to look into the matter.
“They [the municipal officials] did acknowledge that there is a problem in the area, but they haven’t attended to it yet,” said Nonyane.
“A lot of people will keep dying if the municipality is not doing anything about this ‘Anaconda’ regularly swallowing our people.
“There is no way to cross the road safely to get to the shops, taxi rank and nearby factories.
“Cars speed along this road and sometimes they hit people and leave them to die.
“It’s a really busy crossing and a lot of people are always forced to take their lives into their hands to get to the other side.
“There have been so many near misses, you get halfway across and somebody shoots out in front of you doing about 80km/h.
“We’re all still shocked and dismayed by the recent death of the four pedestrians, that’s exactly what we’ve been terrified of.”
Nonyane added that poor visibility and speeding are the main causes of the safety issues there.
Ward councillor Hillary Coke said that, in the light of the tragic accidents in the area, she has, on numerous occasions, asked the metro to do something about the problem.
She also expressed her anger and shock at the deaths of the four women who were recently killed in the area.
We are still awaiting comment from the metro. -@FanieFLK
