Ethekweni deputy mayor backtracks on enclosing bridges
Rock throwing victim takes SANRAL to court.
Enclosing overhead bridges with steel fencing following a series of rock throwing incidents on the M4 and N2, is no longer a viable option mainly due to a pending court case against the South African Road Agency (SANRAL).
Ethekwini Metro deputy mayor Fawzia Peer has back-peddled her earlier calls for barriers to be placed on all bridges over major roads.
In one of the cases, two siblings were killed after a rock was thrown at their vehicle while they were travelling along the N2 between Tongaat and Ballito.
However, Peer told the Courier that after a meeting between the Metro and SANRAL it was discovered that only two bridges belonged to the municipality.
She denied knowing this before making claims of the Metro possibly enclosing the bridges.
For more updates on the rock throwing incidents click HERE
“We as Metro can tell SANRAL that bridges need to be enclosed to save lives. That’s our right.
“However, a rock was thrown from one of the bridges that has already been enclosed.
“The driver has taken SANRAL to court because he believed that SANRAL knew it was a high risk area merely because they enclosed the bridge. He claims SANRAL should be held responsible for incidents that take place in what they knew to be a high risk area.
“We cannot fence the bridges until the case is resolved and that could take years.”
The deputy mayor said enclosing the bridges was now a last option.
“So far we have SAPS and Metro police patrolling high risk areas. We have also had vegetation cut next to bridges where these criminals are hiding.
“There are CCTV cameras which are being closely monitored and thus far, we have not heard of anymore incidents. We hope it stays this way.”
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