Sheffield residents have petitioned the Transport department, demanding urgent safety upgrades to the P228 after a four-year-old boy was seriously injured.

The petition, drafted with the support of DA PR councillor Bulelwa Mvulana, was handed over on Tuesday, September 2.

It calls for an immediate traffic assessment, the installation of speed humps and improved signage and road markings to warn motorists of high pedestrian activity.

Mvulana said the situation would continue to be closely monitored.

“The safety of Sheffield residents, particularly pedestrians using the P228, remains a top priority. We will ensure this matter is not ignored,” she said.

She explained that there have been challenges over responsibility for the road.

“They [DoT] have indicated that the road has not yet been handed over to them by the contractor. They had initially asked for a letter to be written to the contractor,” she said.

The petition follows the accident involving four-year-old Junior Myeni, who was hit by a car on July 16 while walking to a shop near the Hlanganani informal settlement with his sisters. He suffered a broken leg and had to be airlifted to hospital, but has since returned home.

Local paramedics and community leaders have been assisting in the boy’s recovery.

The P228, which links Salt Rock Road and Tinley Manor, has previously been flagged for safety concerns. In November last year, a motorbike crash on the same stretch claimed a life.

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