uMhlanga residents fed up with speeding on M4

A CONTINUED Metro Police presence and the addition of extra speed humps throughout the upper uMhlanga area were just some of the ideas floated about by local resident, Fred Hirsch, who recently expressed his concern about the late night drag racing and excessive speeding on the M4 Ruth First Highway.

Hirsch added those speeding were also using residential roads like Portland Crescent to gain access to the highway. One of the main points of contention for Hirsch was motorists continually flouting the speed limit and the excessive revving of engines causing a noise disturbance.

“It has gotten to a point where residents around the area have collectively reached their wit’s end. One of my friends who was trying to sell her property said the potential buyer lost interest because he heard the speeding cars on the M4. People are doing crazy speeds not only on the M4 but also on the residential roads. How do we make people stick to the rules? I have seen officers from the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) conduct operations on the M4 but they are few and far between.

Related story: uMhlanga residents voice concern over drag races, speeding on M4

“Some of the guys speeding are doing speeds in excess of 150km/h. We feel more speed humps could be one potential answer of a continuous police presence. I acknowledge that Metro Police have limited resources and that the RTI has jurisdiction on the highway but surely if there was some sort of police intervention, be it patrols or a car stationed at hotspots, that would act as a deterrent,” he said.

Hirsch added that residents are deeply concerned because this type of reckless driving is going to lead to a fatal accident.

Ward 35 councillor, Nicole Bollman said she had been inundated with complaints from residents in her ward and the neighbouring ward 36 about motorists flouting the speed limit.

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“I know residents are frustrated and some often take their complaints to social media or WhatsApp groups where they are lost in a funnel. I’ve been dealing with the SAPS and the Metro Police on a monthly basis who have told me they work on an operational plan and look at stats to implement said plans. I encourage residents and impress upon them to contact Metro Police when they see people flouting the rules or driving dangerously to generate statistics. They should formally request a reference number and these should be fed to the CPF sector chair.

“These help with our monthly exco meetings with members from Metro. The information is specifically handed over to them and it was determined a year ago that Metro don’t have the logistics or man power to be everywhere. Having said that I encourage residents to contact the call centre to log complaints especially when it comes to reckless and negligent driving,” Bollman said.

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