A resident is crying foul and blames the construction of the infamous Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) station along Louis Botha Avenue for the high level of crime in that area.
Guy Spiller, from Mountain View in Orange Grove, said the construction between Yeoville and Upper Houghton is problematic. He said the ongoing Rea Vaya roadworks there are the major cause of crime, targeting mostly motorists driving along Louis Botha Avenue.
Spiller claims that the construction causes traffic jams which criminals use to hold up drivers at gunpoint and rob them of their valuables. “This would be so easy to contain by bringing a speedy conclusion to the roadworks which have been going on for years, as well as monitoring the area for suspicious characters.
“Many people use this route to get into the CBD, Braamfontein or the universities and the emergence of crime here causes further deterioration in Jozi’s residents’ pressured lives.”
Responding to the complaint, Ward 73 councillor Eleanor Huggett, has advised motorists as well as residents to report all crime-related incidents that take place there, to the police. “I can only caution residents to be hyper-aware. Keep your windows closed and take every precaution to keep yourselves safe.
“I urge residents to go to SAPS, which falls under province and not under the Johannesburg municipality and report any bad driving and issues they observe.
Huggett added, “I am in constant contact with the Metro police on issues in the area as well as our political heads.”
City of Johannesburg’s spokesperson for the BRT project, Benny Mogoga has failed to respond to North Eastern Tribune’s questions after several attempts to get comments since July. Tribune has sent questions via email and even contacted his phone but there has been no response at all.
Hillbrow Police Station said they were not aware of the situation but promised to put measures in place to ensure the safety of motorists along that area. Sergeant Mduduzi Zondo, spokesperson for the Hillbrow police said, “This was never made aware to us as the police and now that it has come to our attention we will then have patrols around the clock to ensure the safety of drivers in that particular area.”
Zondo promised that they will have police cars patrolling mostly during peak hours and in the mornings.
Details: Guy Spiller 082 882 2187.
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