Church Street or raceway?

The accident rate in Church Street has become a reason for concern.
The main culprit in the frequent accidents seems to be motorists with no regard for traffic rules.
Irate residents have contacted the Highvelder to complain about reckless driving and speedsters disregarding the rules of the road.
The main concern of residents and road users is the traffic light at the intersection of Church and Bührmann Street and the general consensus seems to be that more accidents are occurring since the traffic light was erected.
According to eyewitnesses, many motorists increase speed rather than slowing down for the orange light to avoid having to stop.
Accidents not only endanger the lives of fellow road users; they also cause damage to traffic signs, necessitating costly repairs. Erecting one traffic light costs R299 000 and although the municipal insurance company covers the cost caused by the damage, the community ends up footing the bill through municipal taxes.
According to the municipal spokesman, Mr Mandla Zwane, the Public Safety Directorate decided to erect the traffic light in question to afford residents of De Bruin Park easier access to Church Street.
Business owners in the area have confirmed that the traffic flow has improved since the new traffic light was installed.
When asked about the high accident rate, Mr Zwane said: “Accidents are not monitored by traffic officers and police members. We only apply what we call visible policing with the aim of making our presence felt and seen by motorists as well as community members on our public roads. Our presence cannot guarantee that no accidents will occur during that specific time frame. Speed measuring is done as per schedule. Remember, we cater for the entire Msukaligwa Municipality with the few traffic officers we have.”
There are only eight traffic officers for the whole of Msukaligwa, which means they are deployed in Ermelo, Wesselton, Lothair, Breyten, Sheepmoor, Warburton and Chrissiesmeer.
An ex-officer remembers the days when there were 10 officers serving only Ermelo.
According to Mr Zwane, Msukaligwa cannot afford to employ more officials.
Speed is a great problem and residents have suggested speed bumps, cameras and visible policing as a solution.
The speeding problem in Church Street is exacerbated on Friday and Saturday evenings when it turns into a drag strip.
Residents in the vicinity say the sound of revving engines and squealing tyres is commonplace at these times. Often marks of the previous evening’s racing are visible on the tarred surface the next day.
A member of a security company that often patrols this area has confirmed the practice of “dicing and throwing doughnuts”.
“Just come to the area at about 20:00 or later on a Friday and see for yourself,” he said.
When asked what the authorities are going to do about the speeding problem, Mr Zwane said that until the Municipality can implement a plan of action, road users should abide by the traffic rules.