Chartwell Drive not a lost cause
DA councillor Heinz de Boer said he has prioritised traffic calming measures on Chartwell Drive.
UMHLANGA ward councillor, Heinz de Boer, has said there is still hope for Chartwell Drive residents whose calls for traffic-calming measures have gone unanswered.
De Boer said he had created a list of the top 10 priorities in the uMhlanga area that require serious attention. This included traffic calming measures on Ridge Road, a call for an extension of the pavement on William Campbell Drive leading towards La Lucia Mall and the resurfacing of a number of roads in the area.
“Each ward is allocated a block sum of money (R1-million) by the municipality for various projects. My hope is the money, although a small amount, will provide for the issues that have been outstanding for quite a while. It is really difficult to decide what should and should not be in the top 10, but essentially I’ve looked at issues that were raised by the ward committee, and at long outstanding requests from the community.
“Chartwell Drive is high on the list. Its unfortunate that after Marine Drive speed was calmed, Chartwell and Ridge Road are being used as rat runs. Ridge Road was also recently resurfaced so it makes it even more attractive to speedsters,” he said.
De Boer added he felt the frustration of residents who felt their calls for help are ignored.
“We do battle to secure funding in our ward as there are massive needs throughout the city. That said, our residents deserve a level of service that is above what is being offered by the council. The simple interventions employed by the city of Cape Town, for example, could realise major changes in Durban. Fortunately there are a group of dedicated officials in several departments who I deal with, who take pride in their work and are the shining example of how things should be done,” he said.
“I hope to get some of the projects up and running as early as next year. I’m pushing as much as I can to alleviate the various issues raised by local residents,” he said.
He added the constant speeding on Chartwell Drive also needed to be addressed by Metro Police.
