Dark, crime-prone intersections will be illuminated
Benoni motorists who commute on the poorly illuminated stretch of Atlas Road and Elgin Street, in Kempton Park could soon be a lot safer.
“After six years of sustained DA pressure, the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport has finally agreed to enter in to a service level agreement with the Ekurhuleni Metro to ensure that street lights along Atlas Road are switched on,” said Graham Gersbach, MPL DA spokesperson on roads.
“In a written response to a DA question, repairs to the lights along Atlas Road will only commence after the service level agreement is in place.
“This is expected to be concluded by the end of November.”
Gersbach said the lights should be switched on on Atlas Road, from the R21 off-ramp to Elgin Street, and on Elgin Street to Great North Road.
The spokesperson said the main reason for the outages on Atlas Road is recurring cable theft.
Gersbach said in the past three years, 70 cases relating to motor vehicle crimes have been opened at the Kempton Park SAPS.
As a result, four police officers have been deployed daily to the area to ensure the safety of motorists.
“Despite the efforts of the Department of Community Safety, it is evident that as long as the road remains dark, it will continue to be a hunting ground for criminals.”
