Two barriers that don’t cover the crucial parts of an embankment on Albertina Sisulu (previously Kathleen Street) have been of no help to exasperated landlord Maria Botha.
Misfortune struck her again in November last year when a motorist came speeding down the road from Maraisburg towards Florida Lake, lost control of his or her vehicle where the road curves and sped squarely through the barriers, into the service road, through her property’s wall and into the townhouse unit she rents out.
This is the second time she’s spent thousands of her own rands, over and above what her insurance company was willing to pay out, to fix the property in the past seven years. She spent R70 000 on repairs this time around and complained her insurance premium went up, all because of negligent drivers and improper traffic management.
Her townhouse forms part of a complex in the Albertina Sisulu Street service road, and isn’t the only property in the vicinity of the traffic lights that has been damaged in recent years by motorists losing control of their vehicles.
Botha is calling for extensive, new and more solid barriers to be put up where the road curves, to every surrounding property’s advantage.
“Seven years ago the neighbours and I drew up a petition to get speed bumps installed on this road but nothing came of it,” she said.
She also alleged getting ward councillors involved has not aided in solving her plight.
According to Caleb Finn, Florida CPF member and aspiring candidate in the ward, the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) will have to investigate the situation.
“Traffic engineering needs to take place; a thorough investigation should be conducted and then a course of action can be decided upon.”
He said such barriers are ultimately installed to slow out-of-control vehicles down and not necessarily to prevent damage to property, but a lot could be done to make this part of the road safer.
The Record contacted JRA spokesperson Bertha Scheepers in this regard, with a request to have an investigation launched. She committed to forwarding the request to the traffic engineering department for an investigation to be launched.
“They need to test whether further measures are warranted in this case.
“A process needs to be followed; this particularly process is a bit complicated and can become lengthy.
“Unfortunately, traffic calming measures won’t necessarily fix people’s negligent driving,” Scheepers said.
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