Carnage on potholed ‘road of death’
Heavily potholed roads continue to be the cause of serious accidents in Ubombo.
THE abysmal state of the P236 in Ubombo has had residents campaigning for the resurfacing of this provincial road for some time now.
Yet the heavily potholed road continues to be the cause of serious accidents.
According to eye witness reports, a vehicle hit one of the biggest craters on the road on Sunday, its wheel-shaft buckling on impact, causing the car to flip onto its side.
Paramedics were called to the scene. The number of occupants in the vehicle hasn’t been confirmed, however, KZN Emergency Medical Services said one passenger was seriously injured and was transported to Bethesda Hospital.
Police are investigating the cause of the accident and the names of the occupants have not yet been released.
Ubombo residents, responsible for orchestrating an emergency meeting about the maintenance of the P236 with the Department of Transport (DoT) last week, were returning from a day trip when they came across the wreckage.
The heavily potholed provincial road forces motorists to weave to avoid potholes while driving, sometimes around blind corners, as the road winds up the Lebombo Mountain.
This results in an excessive number of accidents, many of which are fatal.
As the only route to Bethesda Hospital, the maintenance of the P236 should be of paramount importance. The reality, however, is that the hospital is left with no option but to frequently transport patients by air ambulance rather than the more cost-effective option of road ambulance deployment.
Following last week’s meeting with the DoT, maintenance is due to begin later this year.
The pothole responsible for Sunday’s accident was filled in on Monday, however, this is only the start of the major undertaking that is the maintenance of this ‘road of death’.
