Faded road markings endanger learners walking to Laerskool Unika in Robindale
Joburg Roads Agency does not reply to school parents for months, as they wait for help with road markings.
Parents of learners have been nagging the Joburg Roads Agency (JRA) to repaint a pedestrian crossing and two stop street markings on the road, as they say their children are in danger.
The two intersections where Maid Marion Avenue meets Abbot and Locksley roads, are always busy.
This is between Laerskool Unika and its tennis courts and parking bays.
“People are skipping these stop streets in the morning like there are no signs at all. It’s like a ticking time bomb for the safety of the school children,” said mother of two, Jana de Wet.
She has been emailing JRA about this matter since last year, but taken it up again with renewed vigour since this January.
However, she is yet to receive a reply for a few months now.
“Sometimes a teacher will be taking 15 children across the road by herself and she cannot watch everyone. If they can just paint the pedestrian crossing at least – if not the stop street markings on the road – that would make a difference.”
Elsie Dreyer said, “Our children walk there every day from school. The cars are driving very fast and it poses a risk. It is an urgent matter.”
Cobus Lotter said some parents in the area do not even wish to walk 100m to school.
“Even when driving, we often have to slam on brakes for other reckless drivers speeding down Maid Marion Avenue. In the evenings it sounds like a racecourse with drivers being heard accelerating from one end to another, not caring about either stops below the school.”
Ward 99 councillor Nicole van Dyk has been escalating De Wet’s complaints to departmental heads in the agency.
Van Dyk tweeted one of the responses she apparently received, which said the agency does not have poles to erect signs.
This is beside the point, however, as that is not what parents are asking for.
Just got this in an email from @MyJRA :
Just got this in an email from @MyJRA :
"Morning Councillor
The JRA does not have poles to erect signs.
Kind Regards"
Cc MMC @Kenny_T_Kunene
— Cllr Nicole van Dyk 🇿🇦 (@MyLeaderNicole) March 8, 2023
JRA spokesperson Lucia Mahlanga was contacted on March 7 and questions sent to her about what could be done in this matter, when residents can expect this, whether the JRA has poles to erect signs, and why De Wet had not been responded to for eight days despite daily emails to the JRA.
Questions were also sent to Laerskool Unika’s marketing coordinator, Mariette Galjaard on March 10 about whether the school is aware of the faded markings and if it has reported these, does the school believe its learners are safe when crossing Maid Marion Avenue, what the school has done to ensure the safety of its learners when crossing the road.
***By the time of going to print, no comment was received.*****\
Related Article:
Petition for speed bump on Tin Road receives more than 300 signatures
