Residents had enough of R555
The narrow two lane road that snakes through the countryside between eMalahleni and Middelburg, known as the Old Middelburg Road has been the scene of countless accidents and many, many deaths.
dThe most recent fatality occurred on January 27 when a small vehicle collided head-on with a coal truck during busy traffic. The collision caused the truck carrying a full load of coal to overturn on the narrow road.
The driver of the vehicle, who was the only occupant, was declared dead on the scene by paramedics.
As emergency personnel and traffic officials diverted the traffic off the road, around the tons of coal strewn across the road and the wrecked parts of the small green Chevrolet Spark, residents from the surrounding houses gathered to see what the commotion was about. They angrily discussed among themselves that this cannot continue as this was the fifth accident in the last two weeks just on that small strip of road where they reside.
“It is enough! It cannot go on like this,” said one of the residents, disheartened at how many accidents he has witnessed. Another resident said every time he wants to pull out of his driveway on the Old Middelburg Road he is in danger because this road is so busy and there is nothing in place to regulate speed on the road.
The community is calling for action to be taken and Lebo Mofokeng from the municipality has been contacted for comment regarding what role the traffic department can play in preventing more deaths on this road. However no response has been received yet.
The responsibility of maintenance and development of this road falls on the shoulders of the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral). After a tragic collision involving six vehicles in December Sanral released a statement regarding future plans for the Old Middelburg Road.
“Sanral is concerned about the number of incidents that have occurred on the R555. We are in the process of designing the proposed road upgrade to ensure the ease of traffic flow in the area. In the mean time we would like to urge all motorists to adhere to the speed limit and the rules of the road when travelling in the area,” said Yolisa Pasipanodya, spokesperson for Sanral.
The victim who died in the collision has not yet been formally identified.
Witbank SAPS will open a case of culpable homicide. The court will then decide if any negligent driving from either party was in play.
