‘Le Roux Avenue a death trap’
MIDRAND - Midrand residents recently signed a petition and sent it to the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) requesting traffic calming measures on Le Roux Avenue due to many accidents.
Motorists Justin Harper and John Morides, who regularly drive on Le Roux Avenue, said calming interventions will help reduce speed and slow down cars that use and speed down Le Roux Avenue on a daily basis.
Harper told Midrand Reporter that residents are asking for a stop street to placed there as well. “Traffic is crazy on Le Roux Avenue and people speed. How many accidents should be there before JRA does something?” asked Harper.
Morides said there have been many collisions, especially on weekends. “My wall was once driven into, it is sad that there are so many accidents mainly because no one wants to give way during peak hour. Cars come belting down Le Roux Avenue and we need speed bumps.”
EMER-G-MED spokesperson Danielle Dooley confirmed, “Paramedics respond to around 10 accidents a month on Le Roux Avenue, ranging from bumper bashing to serious accidents. In the last two months, there have been three serious accidents.”
The roads agency’s spokesperson, Bertha Peters-Scheepers said the agency’s regional team had been onsite to investigate the matter on 3 August. “Le Roux Avenue is a major arterial road, a high-capacity road, and as such, traffic calming by means of speed humps is not permissible,” she said.
She explained that during the investigation, “… the team did not observe any speeding vehicles, however, they noted that the warning signs indicating the gentle curve were missing. The warning signs must be replaced in order to ensure the safety of motorists travelling at night for more visibility of the road layout.”
Peters-Scheepers said stop streets on Le Roux Avenue and Albertyn Street have also been requested. To implement this, a traffic count needs to be conducted recommending a multi-way stop and JRA’s traffic engineering department has been requested to undertake this exercise.
Ward 112 councillor Candice James pointed out that nothing is being done to keep the road safe the for residents who use it.
“We understand that this road is a ‘major arterial road’ but on a monthly basis there are several accidents on the Keylargo Estate corner. Some residents using Albertyn Road can’t get onto Le Roux Avenue without putting their lives in danger. A stop street or traffic calming measures were requested from JRA and denied,” said James.
Metro police spokesperson Edna Mamonyane said, “Metro police will send the speed unit officers to Le Roux Avenue and they will investigate speed patterns and enforce necessary road rules.”
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