Yes to stop sign
WESTDENE – Residents' and councillors' plea to have a stop sign erected has finally been heard.
The most wanted stop sign has finally been resurrected at the corner of Ararat and Lewis Road.
According to Ward 69 councillor Katja Naumann, frequent accidents have occurred in this area due to the missing stop signs. Concerned resident Frikkie Botes first called in the complaint to replace the sign which was then escalated to Naumann and then to the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA).
During such time, frustrated residents of the Westdene Resident’s Association created their own road sign and a banner to warn motorists of the need to stop. Naumann and Ward 102 councillor David Potter jointly took on senior JRA officials. Naumann claimed that JRA had not been informed about the missing signs and that JMPD should have been managing the situation on the street until the new signs were erected.” “Unfortunately, [it is the] passing of the buck to another department fraught with its own incapacity to deliver, is the worst possible answer they could have given me,” said Naumann.
“There are hundreds of reported pot holes, re-instatements, road markings, manhole covers and road signs outstanding all over Region B. Despite a crisis meeting between all regional ward councillors and the JRA leadership, no visible change is evident”, she said.
Despite all of the problems with communication and service delivery the stop sign has been erected. It is clear though that the stop sign is very high and, “Some motorists probably won’t be able to see it,” said Naumann.
A request for comment has been sent to JRA and their response is pending.
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