Rosebank Primary School appeals for better traffic control
There is chaos on the avenues surrounding Rosebank Primary School due to traffic lights not working and by-law violations.
The Rosebank Primary School has appealed to the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) for safer and more secure traffic measures. The school’s principal Leigh Shaw-Taylor said the traffic lights on the corner of Jellicoe and Sturdee as well as Jellicoe and Bath avenues are not green on the Sturdee and Bath side for long enough for the learners to cross the road. She said learners are often left standing in the middle pavement intersection, having to wait for the next change of lights.
“Additionally, there is a build-up of traffic on Sturdee Avenue during our drop off and pick up times, as only three or four cars can get through one change of traffic lights. With cars waiting to get through the intersection and the parents stopping to drop off and collect children each morning and afternoon, there is chaos on the roads. Children get dropped off on the opposite side of the road and the younger learners sometimes just run across the road,” Shaw-Taylor described. She said with the increase of residents in the area due to the new apartment blocks, this is a serious safety concern for the drivers and their learners.
On the Bath Avenue side, the principal said some drivers do not adhere to the fact that Bath Avenue is one-way and drive in the wrong direction. “Even with our scholar patrol and zebra crossing, drivers do not adhere to the rules of the road,” said the principal.
The principal said the school recently sent in a request to JRA for parking to be allocated on Jellicoe Avenue so that the safety and security of the staff and learners during school hours are protected. “This will allow us to monitor visitors to the school where we can have demarcated parking for visitors. Additionally, those parents who stop on the corner of Jellicoe and Sturdee will have a ‘drop off zone’ to let their children safely climb out of the car without blocking the intersection. This will help to ease traffic congestion and assist with the safety of our learners when climbing out of the vehicle,” she said.
She added that they had asked if a portion of the Jellicoe Avenue pavement outside of the school could be removed to allow for visitors’ parking during school hours so that they do not have direct access to the school grounds and will be required to report directly to the front office. Currently, visitors come through the Sturdee Avenue gate and then have direct access to the school. Instead of reporting directly to the office as required, they go to classrooms which disrupts teaching and learning. This is a safety concern for everyone on the school property.
JRA spokesperson Bertha Scheepers said on May 29 that JRA had received a petition from Rosebank Primary School. “The safety of learners is of paramount importance and consequently, JRA traffic engineers have completed the traffic study and the department has supported the request for the installation of speed humps. Unfortunately, we cannot provide a timeframe for the installation as yet, as this project is on a priority waiting list and is budget dependent.”
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