FOR several months, the traffic lights at the intersection commonly known as the “Chatty Dip” have been out of order and residents are concerned that this might cause accidents and lead to the loss of lives on Nelson Mandela Bay roads.
The intersection, situated on the R75 in the vicinity of KwaMagxaki and KwaDwesi, connects Chelsea Road and Uitenhage Road.
It is considered to be one of the busiest spots in the metro, especially during peak hours, as most motorists travelling between Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage make use of the R75.
Since the traffic lights have been down for quite some time, some motorists have spent much more time stuck in traffic than usual.
According to resident, Luyanda Kama, who uses the R75 almost on a daily basis, the robots here have been out of order for so long, that he can’t even remember the last time they worked.
“It has been months since they stopped working, due to some accident. The way drivers disregard the first first-stop, first-drive rule and are unaware of the K53-tutorial, will cause countless accidents. It seems to be a matter of who is faster than who in avoiding being T-boned,” he explained.
“I don’t know under whose jurisdiction the intersection falls or who the ward councillor is, but the last few times I drove past those traffic lights, a new incident had taken place every time. It would either be the guardrail that seemed to be damaged or had paint residue, presumably from a vehicle, and there would be shards of glass scattered in the road. This obviously means that accidents are no foreign concept when it comes to the Chatty Dip,” he said.
“Due to some contractual disputes with the municipality, even the speed cameras attached to those traffic lights haven’t been operational since March 2020,” he added.
According to municipal spokesperson, Kupido Baron, the reason for these specific traffic lights not being operational, is due to constant vandalism.
“Vandals regularly stripped cables, aluminium and other salvageable material to sell as scrap metal,” Baron explained.
He added that since the traffic lights are located on the R75, they are the responsibility of the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL).
“We approached SANRAL regarding the establishment of a four-way stop at that intersection. We consider the four-way stop as a permanent and more cost-effective solution. In the interim, all motorists should consider the intersection as a four-way in line with normal traffic rules,” he said.
Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber (NMBBC) CEO, Nomkhita Mona, said that she had noted, with great concern, the increased number of reports on the rampant destruction of infrastructure in the metro.
“This metro has been targeted by vandals who continue to strip community and public property bare in a quest to steal and pillage building materials and other valuables. We condemn such destruction in the strongest terms,” she said.
