Fence to keep pedestrians in their place on Ballito Drive

Ever since the opening of the new mall and the relocation of the taxi rank, Ballito Drive has become something of a free for all, with pedestrians and vehicles dodging one another as they rush to and fro.

Almost every week another pedestrian is hit while crossing the road, with the latest incident happening on Sunday (November 12).

Also read: “We need a pedestrian crossing”

This is all set to change according to KDM media liaison Sipho Mkhize, who told the Courier a fence is going to be erected down the middle of the road to prevent pedestrians from crossing.

“The municipality has engaged the Ballito UIP about installing a fence that will separate northbound and southbound traffic, which will limit the jaywalking that has contributed to many of these accidents,” Mkhize said.

“It can be confirmed that the UIP has attained approval from the KZN Department of Transport (DOT) to install the fence, on condition that KwaDukuza Municipality commits to maintenance of it. An item was submitted to Council for approval.”

However, Mkhize said an overhead pedestrian bridge would only form part of the long term aims of the project, as a thorough budget needed to be prepared for that.

“KwaDukuza Municipality is currently engaging DOT on the issue as this portion of road belongs to DOT.”

In the meantime, motorists and pedestrians are urged to be cautious on the roads.

“We appeal for motorists to be considerate of pedestrians and other drivers at all times, and we also call upon the community to be alert when crossing roads and ensure that they cross in designated areas,” said Mkhize.

>>  Visit our Education feature for a collection of all the best schools, tutoring systems, and even some colleges and training facilities on the North Coast.

Do you want to receive news alerts via WhatsApp? Send us a WhatsApp message (not an sms) with your name and surname to 061 718 4438.

Please read our WhatsApp broadcast list disclaimer.
Join us on BBM at 59015786
Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram