Residents fearful of ‘death trap’
"That is unfair. Malalane has three traffic lights, why can't we have one?" asked Nel.
KOMATIPOORT – Residents who requested TRAC to put up traffic lights on the N4 at the entrance to town, have heard that it cannot be done. TRAC said it could not instal traffic lights on a national highway.
“The entrance into town from the N4 is a death trap,” said Mr Jan Nel, a concerned resident.
“Trucks and other vehicles come speeding through here and it is not safe.” He and other concerned residents approached the local traffic department, who told them that traffic lights were not in its jurisdiction. The residents later contacted TRAC, who confirmed to Corridor Gazette that it could not set up traffic lights on the N4.
“That is unfair. Malalane has three traffic lights, why can’t we have one?” asked Nel.
Ms Solange Soares-Nicholson, marketing manager at TRAC explained that just like Mbombela, Malalane’s lights were inherited.
“TRAC tries to make concessions to move traffic out of busy areas,” she said. “It is with this reason that we built a ring road around Mbombela in an attempt to get traffic out of the city.”
According to Soares-Nicholson, there are plans to also divert traffic out of Malalane.
“As for Komatipoort, that cannot be done,” she said.
