Still no comment from department after third accident at Casterbridge

WHITE RIVER – Two people were injured when a truck ploughed across the traffic circle next to the Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre and crashed into a ditch. This was the third incident of its kind in three months. Community members and businesses expressed their frustration, blaming what they call state departments’ blatant ignorance for the accidents.

The first vehicle to hit the centre was an independent contractor carrying SAB crates full of empty beer bottles. It demolished the popular GumTreez’s boma in February. In March, Lowvelder reported that the driver of a truck carrying a load of wood lost control and the vehicle bulldozed over the circle. According to WO Gugu Phiri, spokesman for White River SAPS, this accident was never reported to them. Last Wednesday it was one of Keystone Milling’s delivery trucks that ended up in a ditch on the centre’s premises. The driver and one of his passengers were slightly injured after the truck rambled over the centre’s Telkom exchange.
Ms Tracey Austin, co-owner of GumTreez Pub & Grill, expressed her frustration after the accident, “This is the umpteenth truck that this has happened to and the third one this year. When will someone do something about this?”  Her husband and co-owner of the pub, Mr Greg Austin, confirmed that the trucks that have crashed into the complex had all done so in similar ways. “They veer straight across the traffic circle on the R40 that connects Hazyview, White River, Phalaborwa and the Kruger National Park’s Numbi Gate before crashing into an obstacle on the premises,” he said.

Lowvelder approached various government departments for comment on this phenomenon. All queries submitted to the Mbombela Local Municipality were redirected to the Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport. The paper’s queries to this department remain unanswered after more than six weeks.

The paper consulted resident engineer Mr Lammie Oosthuizen, who offered his input on the situation. After investigating the circle in daytime and at night, he concluded that there were ample signposts indicating towards the traffic circle from all directions. “Rumble strips may be added to the road to warn drivers about the oncoming circle. They should approach the traffic circle with reasonable care,” he said.

Community members have expressed their concern on social media after the most recent accident.

Oosthuizen’s suggestion was echoed by Mr Richard Foord, who also proposed that rumble strips or speeds humps be added to the stretch of road preceding the circle.  Ms Ann Rattray believed these accidents might have been caused by bad driving and  Ms Michelle Ellis added that authorities should attend to the problem.

Lowvelder submitted another query to the municipality to ask whether it had any plans to attend to the matter and was once again referred to the public works, roads and transport department, which did not reply.