I am responding to the article Autism school hands in petition, which featured in the 23 March edition of the News, where at the end of the article, the Falcon Street Petition is also mentioned.
Falcon Street residents handed in a petition to Aletta van Loggerenberg, DA councillor for Ward 17, urging Mogale City’s council to put speed humps on the street. This street has become a major thoroughfare from First Street onto Falcon because of its easy access to Cecil Knight Street. It has become a ‘main’ street, [with vehicles travelling] at very high speeds, posing a great danger to its residents. This includes very large delivery and construction trucks. Why these large trucks are allowed to use residential streets is beyond me. The cost to repair the damage these trucks do to roads, is astronomical. Many taxis have also invaded this street and do not care how fast they drive or where they stop, often stopping across the Cecil Knight/ Falcon Street stop sign to pick up or drop off passengers. Not only do they not care about the traffic rules, they are hostile and have no problem running you off the road or using obscene language and hand gestures.
If Johannesburg Metro PD can curb their taxi drivers, I can’t see why Mogale City can’t.
We are all aware of the traffic problems in and around our city. It is often mentioned in the News but nothing ever gets done about it. This includes our residential streets that are being misused by drivers who do not take any responsibility for road safety, and violate all traffic rules with absolutely no consequences. Wherever you go, you are faced with motorists who have no regard for anyone else on the road. The road rage and hostile behaviour toward others has become normal behaviour. With the amount of traffic violations in and around this city, one would think this department could generate a small fortune that could be used to pay for the mess this city is in.
Many schools are begging for assistance for the safety of all our children but are being denied protection from the city and traffic department. Try the horrible speeding and no visible safety precautions around Laerskool Protearif. The newly installed stop sign just before you reach the school/ Sterkfontein Hospital is there for looks. Absolutely no one stops there – waste of time and money.
However, Kagiso not only got approval, but is currently installing speed humps. It’s absolutely appalling that our schools and residential streets don’t get any priority.
