However, residents said that for the past few years, they had asked Johannesburg Roads Agency to construct speed bumps along the road, but to no avail.
Resident, Patricia Nementzik, said they have had three serious accidents on the road in the past three years, a lot of minor accidents and many near misses. “Recently a motorist drove into my wall,” she said.
“My children can’t play near our gate as someone could drive into our wall any time.”
Nementzik’s neighbour, who did not want to be named said, “We hear screeching vehicles a lot, especially on weekends and evenings. How many accidents must take place here before something is done?”
Christ Church Preparatory and College is also situated on 11th Road. A staff member at the school, Helen Loots, said churchgoers who used the school church, and the school signed a petition years ago to have speed bumps on the road constructed.
“People come speeding down the road, past the school, it’s very dangerous,” said Loots.
Councillor Annette Deppe, previous councillor of Ward 112, confirmed that the issue had been escalated to the roads agency years ago.
The agency’s spokesperson, Bertha Peters-Scheepers, said they had approved the installation of traffic calming measures on the road based on a traffic assessment undertaken. “Temporary traffic calming measures will be implemented which include the painting of a centre line along 11th Road from 9th Road, and a ‘slow’ marking painted on the road in the approach to the school, and the installation of ‘children warning’ signs on both approaches to the school,” she said.
The agency would inform the community when speed bumps would be installed. Peters-Scheepers explained that the installation of speed bumps could only be considered if certain criteria were met, as stipulated in the South African Road Traffic Signs Manual and the City of Joburg’s Traffic Calming Policy. Fulfilling these requirements did not guarantee any immediate installation of speed bumps by the agency, however.
She added, “Should any individual, association, community or company wish to fund such a project on a voluntary basis, there is a procedure that would need to be followed to gain approval for the installation of such traffic calming measures.”
This year, in Midrand, speed bumps have been constructed on the following roads:
- Â Kaalfontein Ext 11, Finger Fish, one speed bump.
- Â Kaalfontein Ext 5, Hatachet, four.
- Â Kaalfontain Ext 5, Black More, one.
- Â Kaalfontein Ext 5, Siamens, one.
- Â Kaalfontein Ext 12, 13, Angel Fish, three.
- Â Kaalfontein Ext 12, Half Beak, three.
- Â Kaalfontein Ext 12, Joel Fish, two.
- Â Ebony park Ext 4, Bouganvilla, three.
- Â Kaalfontein Ext 11, Ghost Fish, three.
- Â Ebony park Ext 6, Lavender, one.
- Â Kaalfontein Ext 5, Tonguesole, eight.
- Â Ebony park Ext 6, Kerriebos, one.
- Â Kyalami AH, Zinnia, one.
- Â Kyalami AH, Cedar, one.
- Â Kyalami AH, Ash, one.
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