Chairperson of the forum, Susan Mottram stated that the petition was drawn up because Metro police, City council and Joburg’s ANC head of Safety and Security, councillor Sello Lemao, have not followed the City’s procedure of responding to complaints logged at the Metro police call centre about lawlessness on the suburb’s roads. This includes illegal taxi ranks to dumping on the streets and illegal advertising.
“The petition is an extreme action taken out of desperation by community stakeholders who have spent months and years trying to get sustained bylaw enforcement,” said Mottram.
“We should not have to beg law enforcers to uphold the law and protect our citizens. This is a ludicrous position we have found ourselves in.”
The petition was signed by more than 500 residents, business owners and ratepayers from Douglasdale and surrounds.
“It was signed by people of all races, ages, political parties and walks of life – people who are all equally affected by, and entirely sick of, the taxis and the filth they leave on our pavements, and the peak-hour traffic mayhem on Douglas Drive, Leslie Avenue West, Kingfisher Road and Alexander Road,” Mottram lamented.
The aim of the forum’s petition was to ensure that minibus taxis stick to public transport routes and only stop to drop off passengers in lay-bys. It also wants to see that all public transport be barred from using Kingfisher Drive and Alexander Road, except for designated school buses.
“Signage to this effect should be erected at the entrances to Kingfisher Drive on William Nicol Drive and Witkoppen Road. I envisage the need for a daily Metro police presence at these intersections during the first week of installation of the new signage to enforce the new order,” added Mottram. Santana has actively supported this initiative and will hand the petition to Ward Committee Governance who will in turn hand it over to the City’s petition committee. The committee will then give receipt of acknowledgement before any further action can be taken.
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