Letter: Pain in the hump

Ralph Klöpfer of Salt Rock says enough with the speed humps:

I was shocked to read in a December issue of the Courier (UIP plans ahead, December 14) about an urban improvement scheme where a Mr Fittkau stated having funds available for improvements, listing among others, more speed humps.

I recently enjoyed driving in the Cape, travelling hundreds of kilometres past schools, beaches etc without a single speed hump, also noticing no accidents.

Road planners in the Dolphin Coast area seem obsessed with speed humps even in urban areas where no pedestrians or children are present (i.e. Simbithi Drive).

This might seem acceptable when driving to the beach once or twice a week. I run a delivery service and am hugely aggravated by these obstructions. From Ballito village to Sheffield and back I have to brake and change to second gear 58 times, also threatening the safety of my cargo.

Who makes the decisions for these excessive hurdles? Who dares to double the carbon footprint by so often using second gear instead of fourth, while every motorist dislikes the humps?

Please, let us use logic and economy and travel 21st century-style and stop this conservative attitude. After all, roads were intended for travelling on and let Mr Fittkau use the materials to fix potholes instead.