Residents and motorists are concerned about the condition of Gordon Road as large trucks passing through pose a danger to their health and safety.
Gordon Road is facing an influx of heavy trucks travelling on the road, which causes distress for residents as the two-way street is known for constant accidents around the bend with another truck crashing into a property just last week.
Residents have cited that they are affected by the noise and frequent vibration as trucks above the 5t weight restriction and height limit transport goods, including petrol, to and from the N1 highway via Ondekkers Road.
Residents also complained about the noise at night and voiced their concern about motorists utilising this route at night, given the increased risk of accidents. Due to the slickness of the road, truck drivers and motorists with worn brakes may have a more difficult time braking in time.
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Jacques Louw, a resident cited that the road is a big risk because of its bumpy conditions and the damaged road surface due to the weight of trucks which poses a danger for motorists travelling on the wet road.
“It seems we have to wait for another major accident before they [authorities] start to take us seriously as we were told to launch a petition – even despite this, still nothing,” Louw said.
Council and residents cited that they have approached the various entities such as Johannesburg Roads Authority (JRA), the local ward councillor, MMC for Transport Kenny Kunene, and the like, however to no concrete resolution. They are also complaining about the signage and have stated that the 5t sign is incorrect and has been placed wrongly.
According to Raquel Fortune, the ward committee member, authorities are not taking their cries seriously. Ward councillor Caleb Finn is aware of the issue and cited that he has spoken to JRA, who refused due to their technical stipulations.
“We have resorted to using our own resources to flag down trucks and contact their companies as a way to raise awareness around this issue, however, we have also been sent from pillar to post in hopes for a resolution, but nothing is being done and nobody is willing to take the blame,” Fortune said.
They have cited various resolutions including weight restriction, proper signage, speed limit impositions, road surface fixtures, monitoring through the installation of speed cams, roadblocks, etc and called for truck companies to be advised of alternative routes as the road cannot handle the pressure.
In response to the residents’ complaints, JRA said that they cannot support the decision to reduce the current speed limit as per the resident’s resolutions from 60km/h to 40km/h as it is classified as a Class 2 major road. The department also said that they cannot support a mass limit reduction on the road as it would impact its functionality.
Regarding the petition issue, the department cited that traffic calming is registered and assessed by relevant departments for appropriate measures.
