Learners not safe on Seventh Road in Halfway Gardens
A total disregard of road rules on Seventh Road in Halfway Gardens pose a huge risk on school children as motorists drive on the sidewalk to avoid traffic during peak hours.
Imagine sending your child to school and a few minutes later, you get a call informing you that your child has been knocked down by a vehicle.
This could become a reality on Seventh Road in Midrand because of the rash driving from some motorists, taxi drivers and scholar transporters.
The reckless driving and blatant ignorance of road rules on the road in Halfway Gardens would one day result in a huge accident involving learners, according to parent Trevor Lee Govender.
The concerned parent walks his son to the primary school every morning and fetches him in the afternoons. He believes the road is a recipe for disaster.
“It’s bad, extremely dangerous and scary when you see it happening. It’s so sad to see some of the kids walking alone on that road because of [the danger of other people’s] bad driving. Motorists have total disregard for the lives of the kids. And I do not think the Johannesburg Metro Police Department [JMPD] will solve the problem because they will be here for a week or so, and afterwards the problem will start again,” said Govender.
Some motorists and taxi drivers either drive into the oncoming traffic lane or on the pavement which many learners walk on, to skip the traffic.
He believed the installation of speed humps on the road and concrete pillars on the pavement could be the only solutions, and until then, Metro police would only be a temporary solution
Terence Makhaga, whose house is situated on the road and was ploughed into by a taxi in 2020 carrying 12 teenage learners who were injured said, “I was happy when there were potholes at the stop sign [Third and Seventh roads] because drivers used to stop and drive very cautious around the stop sign. But now they don’t stop anymore, instead they just yield and what is happening here every morning is a ticking time bomb.”
JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla acknowledged that Seventh Road was problematic. He said the department would deploy more officers to clamp down on those motorists violating the rules once it gets ‘enough manpower’.
“It’s not only taxis but private vehicles also drive recklessly on that roadway. The main cause of the problem is the drop-off and the picking up of schoolchildren in the morning and afternoon, which causes congestion,” said Fihla.
Fihla said JMPD had deployed officers there on various occasions but officers couldn’t be deployed daily. “If there are no operations that need to be conducted, unfortunately, officers cannot be deployed there. Officers are also deployed to control traffic at main arterials throughout Region A to alleviate congestion.”
Transport MMC Funzela Ngobeni said it was concerning to see the endangerment of vulnerable residents, particularly the elderly and school learners, by motorists who have no regard for the safety of others.
“While JRA is responsible for road construction as well as the repair and maintenance thereof, it remains the responsibility of JMPD to ensure constant and adequate law enforcement. The unlawful behaviour displayed by motorists who choose to drive along the sidewalk must be stamped out by JMPD, without delay,” said Ngobeni.
Related articles:
https://www.citizen.co.za/midrand-reporter/236133/jmpd-arrests-school-bus-driver-for-negligent-driving/
https://www.citizen.co.za/midrand-reporter/235272/learners-injured-taxi-accident-halfway-gardens/
