Drag races plague Durban North community

DURBAN North reisdents want more action from the Metro Police to stop illegal drag racing events before there is a fatality and feel there is far too much talking about the issue but no resolutions are forthcoming. However senior superintendent, Eugene Msomi, assured residents of Durban North that more will be done to combat the scourge of illegal drag racing events held on North Coast Road.

The illegal racers who used the road as their personal race track on the weekends have now resorted to hosting their events during the week and little has been done to acknowledge the concerns of residents.

Haleric Road resident, Angie Cockburn, said though she’s not near North Coast Road, the noise from the illegal races reverberates around her house. “The situation is absolutely ridiculous. All you hear are tyres screeching. We’ve contacted the Metro Police but to no avail, no one responds and this carries on for hours. Everybody’s talking about it but nothing is being done. We want more done,” Cockburn said.

Another resident, who does not want to be named, echoed Cockburn’s sentiments saying they drivers are putting other residents in danger. “It literally feels like the race is outside our house, it’s horrible. Metro are happy to block-off sections of the M4 for VIP guests, but where are they when the residents need them,” the frustrated resident said.

Ward councillor, Heinz de Boer, said one of the major problems impacting on the illegal drag races is the lack of manpower. “We’ve asked for extra patrols but to no avail. In recent months, Metro has not been dealing with issue pro-actively,” he said.

In response to Metro not responding to calls, De Boer asked residents to make sure they asked for reference numbers when they are reporting an incident. “Each Metro vehicle is fitted with a tracking device. If a vehicle is dispatched and does not respond, this is a serious problem. I urge residents to contact me regarding this issue.”

Contact the Metro on 031 361 0000.