Following another fatal accident on Soutpansberg Drive in Van Riebeeck Park late last year, the roads department has communicated a long and short-term solution.
Engineers from the department accompanied ward Clr Gideon van Zyl on a site inspection to determine what could be done to make this stretch of road just off Elgin Road safer for motorists.
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“A number of issues have been identified as contributing to the high accident rate,“ van Zyl said in a statement.
These issues are:
• Road users from Elgin Road turn left into Soutpansberg Drive, ignoring the yield sign and then driving into high-speed oncoming traffic.
• Road users skip the traffic lights at the intersection and/or over speed.
• Road users from the left lane do not anticipate the double-lane road becoming a single lane road and either get forced off the road or change lanes without indicating or without anticipating traffic from behind.
• There are several blind entrances from the left and vehicles exit the entrances without consideration for oncoming traffic or in an attempt to shorten their travel time, cross both lanes to turn right, and
• Drivers lose control over their vehicles on the bend to the right either due to speeding or due to conditions as described above.
“In order to address these issues, the roads department has communicated a long-term remediation and a short-term relief.
“The long-term remediation is to do a redesign which includes the widening of the road and turning Soutpansberg Drive into a four-lane road. The improvement will also include the implementation of additional traffic signs and improved road markings to ensure that sufficient traffic calming is applied,” van Zyl said.
“The planning for this phase is already in progress and the roads department has undertaken to prioritise this hazardous section of road.
“The department has also undertaken to do a short-term interim implementation of additional signage to warn road users of the dangerous road conditions, add recommended speed signage and consider improving road markings.
“I would, however, still like to urge all road-users to obey the traffic laws, drive more cautiously, be more considerate of other road users and to not drink and drive. A positive attitude on our roads will ensure that we all get through this holiday season safely,” van Zyl concluded.
