“Petition us about Wilgerood” — JMPD
Councillors sitting with their hands in their hair over accidents and speedsters on this road.
Two accidents and their devastating aftermath in the past three weeks have left ward councillors Carl Mann and Suzanne Clarke with their hands in their hair.
It happens all too often that they have to deal with the wreckage of infrastructure after such a big accident occurred, Mann told the Record. Last Saturday (6 February) he was inundated with calls regarding an apparent truck collision on the corner of Wilgerood and Christiaan de Wet Roads, where a lot of accidents occur. He was summoned to the scene to find wrecked chevron barriers and other signs and warning boards littering the roadway. Three weeks ago, a tragic accident occurred on the same road near CR Swart Avenue, where a man passed away and three others were seriously injured.
Wilgerood horror accident driver still under investigation
According to Mann many issues sprout from the regular collisions on Wilgerood Road, including the Johannesburg Road Agency’s urgency in fixing the roadway and traffic management signs, the Metro Police’s involvement in accident scenes, preventative measures and road blocks and residents’ perspective that it’s alright to drive a bit faster to get home, especially at night. He also believes truck drivers who use the road regularly lose control over their vehicles as the intersection at Christiaan de Wet Road is a steep slope with a sharp turn.
Shocking photos: one dead in Wilgerood horror accident
While Mann argues better traffic management and law enforcement needs to take place, Clarke says it’s people’s attitudes that need to change.
“How do you go about changing someone’s attitude who speeds at 120 km/h down an 80 km/h road? I don’t know how we can change speedsters. People need to take responsibility for their actions.
“The larger issue here is speeding and people driving under the influence, which calls for the Metro Police’s intervention,” she told the Record.
Horror accident driver charged
Clarke plans on raising the issue in her coming ward committee meeting, which stakeholders of various departments usually attend.
Metro Police spokeswoman Edna Mamonyane said each problematic road or area is dealt with in a unique way, depending on what the reported problem is.
“Depending on whether people complain about speeding or drunk drivers or unsafe roadways, we’ll handle each complaint differently.”
She recommended residents and the ward councillors draw up a petition outlining the exact problem. Individual complaints can also be sent on to her directly, which she’ll then forward to the relevant department within the JMPD for investigation. Her email address is ednama@joburg.org.za
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