The Junior Traffic Training Centre in Begeman Street was once a place where children received basic road safety education, but has over the years become an overgrown jungle that has been stripped of all its basic infrastructure.
This once magnificent educational tool has become a haven for the homeless and what should be of even greater concern for taxpayers is that funds are still allocated for the upkeep and security of this now vacant piece of land.
Following an outcry by members of the community, the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Member of the Provincial Legislature for Community Safety, Michelle Clarke, visited The Junior Traffic Training Centre and was shocked to discover that the facility has become a white elephant.
“This facility has been abandoned and it is evident that there has been no maintenance or improvements over this five year period,” said Clarke.
She noted that the traffic road signs are covered with weeds and the classrooms that are equipped with desks, chairs, training manuals, road traffic signs and training uniforms are gathering dust.
During her site inspection, Clarke also noted that the perimeter wall is crumbling; the electric motor of the main gate, other electric boxes and the water fountain pumps have been stripped and stolen.
“The DA is concerned that this centre might be further vandalised and the remaining resources stolen as the facility is not being guarded. “Considering the fact that pedestrian fatalities are on the rise in this province, this centre should serve a good purpose in educating children at a young age about pedestrian safety to save lives,” Clarke said.
Clarke confirmed that she would further investigate the serious concerns of the community as funds allocated to the Traffic Management Unit and its sub-programme of promoting road safety should have been allocated for this purpose.
She added that Gauteng Community Safety MEC Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature will be asked to determine why the centre has been abandoned, when it will be operational, how much money has been allocated for the running of the centre and on what its allocated budget has been spent.
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