Carnage on Cedar Road

Broadacres resident Pat Hemphill said that since moving to the area 10 months ago, she noticed that accidents occur on Cedar Road on an almost daily basis.

Hemphill said she frequently hears ambulance sirens, sometimes up to four times in one day. The most recent accident on the stretch of road near Diepsloot was a taxi crash on 23 June in which one passenger was killed and 12 others injured.

Hemphill believes that it is the taxi drivers’ disregard for the rules of the road which contributes to the high number of accidents. “The front of my own car was totally bashed in by a taxi,” Hemphill said.

However it is not just taxis that have accidents on the road. A month ago, a truck jackknifed, lost its load of rubble and held up traffic for almost three hours.

“I don’t see any traffic officers on Cedar Road, especially during the day when these accidents seem to happen the most,” Hemphill said.

“So many people lose their lives on this road. I call it carnage.”

Inspector Edna Mamonyane, spokesperson for the Johannesburg Metro police said that if residents feel that the road is a problem they should log their concerns with the Metro police by calling Joburg Connect.

Mamonyane explained that the issue would then be investigated by the public prosecutor, who would monitor the different factors that could be contributing to the frequency of motor vehicle accidents on Cedar Road. If the public prosecutor did identify a traffic problem, the Metro police would be instructed to intervene on Cedar Road.

Details: Joburg Connect 011 375 5911.