Letter: Tragedy sparks urgent call to fix lights at deadly intersection

Gillian Dansie from Brakpan writes:

Like many others across our province, the traffic lights at the key intersection of Airport Drive and the R23 in Brakpan have been non-functional for over six months.

This is a significant provincial junction, with a daily traffic volume of 60 000 to 90 000 vehicles and a pedestrian footfall count of up to 5 000 people per day, according to a 2018 traffic impact study.

This has led to several serious accidents, some of them fatal. Most recently, 10-year-old Blessing Onoh tragically lost her life after being struck by a car on Good Friday (April 18).

The Mall@Carnival, in collaboration with the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport, local law enforcement, private security companies and Freedom Front Plus PR Clr Riaan van Zyl, has taken the initiative to adopt the traffic lights at this intersection.

As reported in the Brakpan Herald on February 5, the plan is to relocate the control box to the mall’s premises for improved protection, once the lights have been repaired.

However, a shortage of control boxes has delayed this initiative. I urgently appeal to the Gauteng Provincial Government and City of Ekurhuleni to expedite this matter before more lives are needlessly lost.

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