City agrees to speed bumps outside school

SPEED BUMPS are to be implemented outside Morningside Primary school at the intersection of Peter Mokaba and Sir Arthur Roads. The decision to implement the speed bumps has been tabled by eThekwini Municipality.

This comes after many requests by the school principal, Des Friedrichs and ward councillor Martin Meyer, to install speed bumps in Peter Mokaba Road to slow down motorists who speed down the road.

According to Lemo Monyatsi, Senior Manager or Traffic Engineering at eThekwini Municipality, the request for speed humps outside the school along Trematon Drive was not supported as this is a high order (Class 3) road.

“Speed humps will, however, be implemented outside the school along Sir Arthur Road. This will be prioritised in the 2014/15 financial year subject to funds availability,” said Monyatsi.

Des Friedrichs said he felt speed humps in Sir Arthur Road would only act as a deterrent for collisions between cars and would in no way prevent children from being run over.

“Vehicles travelling from town towards the school will certainly be slowed down before arriving at the congested area outside the school gate. Vehicles leaving Peter Mokaba Road along Sir Arthur will arrive at the congested area before ‘hitting’ their first speed hump. This is the area where children are most vulnerable. Then again, any help is better than none!” he said.

“That whole area is of concern,”said councillor Meyer. “The traffic, motorists speeding as they pass the school and old age home and the large number of taxis that park there are a cause of concern for residents.” “Morningside Primary and Robert Storm Home are ongoing concerns for me. The city has rejected every application by myself and my predecessor, Prof George Devenish for traffic calming in Peter Mokaba Road. I will however continue to fight for this road, as I feel it is vital.”

A nearby resident, also concerned about the issue, said he felt speeding traffic needed a roundabout to slow it down.

Tony Chaperon moved into an apartment in Morningside Ridge at the intersection of Trematon and Burman Drive in October 2013, and said he had a direct view of traffic going up and down Trematon Road.

“Burman Drive is the only access road from Trematon to six large apartment blocks so there is heavy traffic crossing Trematon Road especially at peak periods. This road is used morning and night by hundreds of residents living in these apartments. The daily volume of traffic in this area is more than anywhere in Durban. If anyone in authority makes themselves aware of what I am talking about, this request will be given top priority,” he said.

He said he believed the solution would be to construct a traffic circle in the middle of this four way crossroad in order to accommodate the volume of traffic which travels past Morningside Primary School at great speed towards the four way intersection.

“The installation of a traffic circle would reduce the speed of drivers travelling down Trematon Drive which is presently used as a speedway forcing them to reduce speed entering this four-way intersection. When one considers the circles that were pulled down and reinstalled for the Top Gear Festival, the permanent installation of this cirlce would be a pittance. Please can our ward councillor and eThekweni Municipality decision makers make an effort and seriously look at this situation,” he said.