Two accidents on Swartkoppies Road in one day raise safety concerns
Two separate accidents within hours on Swartkoppies Road have left residents angry and afraid, blaming non-fuctional traffic lights and reckless driving for putting lives at risk.
Two separate accidents on April 8 along Swartkoppies Road in Alberton have raised serious concerns about road safety, reckless driving, and non-functioning traffic lights in the area.
The first incident occurred at around 06:35 at the corner of Swartkoppies Road and Nelson Mandela Drive, near the vehicle impound lot.
“I stay in Florentia. I was on my way to Meyersdal to drop my son off at school when the accident happened,” said Chèlin Jade Platt, who was involved in the crash.
According to Platt, a taxi driver allegedly skipped a red light while she had the right of way to turn.
“My five-year-old has a concussion. I’m 24 weeks pregnant and had to go for an emergency scan after the seatbelt left bruising around my stomach.
“My car spun four times before the taxi hit me again, and then I crashed into a pole. It was declared a write-off on the scene.”
Platt added that the taxi driver had no valid driver’s license to present, and police on the scene said he could not speak English.
“They told me he’s a foreign national and the taxi was also not licensed. He was not arrested while I was there or even when my car was collected by insurance. When we asked about consequences, police only said, ‘We will deal with him.’”
Later the same day, a second accident occurred on the Swartkoppies off-ramp at the R59 intersection, involving a bakkie and a taxi.
@albertonrecord A collision between a taxi and a bakkie on the Swartkoppies Road off-ramp in Alberton has caused significant traffic delays on April 8. The incident occurred near the intersection leading from Newmarket toward Brackenhurst and Brackendowns. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported.
Although no injuries were reported, the crash caused significant traffic delays for motorists travelling on the road.
Traffic lights at the off-ramp were not working at the time, which may have contributed to the confusion.
Neither driver accepted responsibility for the crash, and no law enforcement officials were present more than an hour after the incident occurred.
These two accidents have reignited public frustration over ongoing traffic light failures and reckless driving, particularly among some taxi drivers.
@albertonrecord Traffic lights on the intersection of the R554 and Potgieter, in #Alberton have not been working for months.
Residents say the City of Ekurhuleni has failed to address the recurring problem of malfunctioning traffic signals on Swartkoppies Road.
Alberton locals took to Facebook to voice their concerns.
“Unfortunately, the circumstances around the traffic lights not working will forever be a problem (not just in Alberton).
“The actual issue comes in that drivers have no idea how a 4-way stop works and most of the drivers don’t even attempt to stop with an ‘I see no one so I am going to fly right over’ attitude, and in cases like this, two drivers from opposite directions have the same clever idea,” said Yolandi McKenzie.
Alice Smith added, “Sue Ekurhuleni municipal council.”
“It’s been over three months with no traffic lights. The mornings are a nightmare,” said Mabunda Lindie.
With no immediate solutions in sight and road safety continuing to deteriorate, residents are urging the municipality to step up and prioritise the repair of critical traffic infrastructure before more lives are put at risk.
WATCH: Taxi and bakkie collide on Swartkoppies off-ramp, causing traffic delays
