A collision at a pedestrian crossing in Wespoort Drive in Portlands, Mitchells Plain, has demonstrated that fears of learners could lose their lives there are well-founded, a member of the local neighbourhood watch said.

Richard Small, who has assisted learners at the crossing every morning for years, has for as long called for a speed hump to be erected there and for posting of more law enforcement at the site. However, he has repeatedly been told by the City that a speed hump is not possible in the road.

Early-morning collision

Yesterday morning (21 July) Small said there was a close call at the crossing. While escorting children across the road, the traffic lights were red and two cars had stopped.

Another car, coming at a speed, collided with both vehicles. “Had that van not been there, a child could have lost their life,” Small said.

Brake failure

Small said the driver of the car said his brakes had failed. He said there were many other vehicles with perfectly working brakes that speed over the crossing, whether the lights are red or not. He had photo evidence of a vehicle swerving through the scholar-patrol booms at the site.

Small sent the photos and countless emails to the City and the subcouncil manager, but his pleas have been met with silence or negative replies.

City’s response

When TygerBurger contacted the City after the accident occurred yesterday morning, it sent the same response it had sent to previous queries on this subject.

Councillor Rob Quintas, Mayco member for Urban Mobility, said: “There is already an existing signalised intersection with traffic signals. Wespoort Drive is a higher-order route that carries a high volume of traffic, meaning the City cannot install more traffic-calming measures along this route. The City considers all requests for traffic calming in terms of its Traffic Calming Policy. Although it has has a current focus on schools, the policy also considers the classification of the routes in question and generally does not support the introduction of raised calming measures on higher-order mobility routes.”

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