Umgeni Park residents call for traffic calming
The intersection of Collard Road and Acutt Avenue has been a cause for concern for several years, say residents.
FRUSTRATED by speeding motorists in their area, residents in Umgeni Park have implored the eThekwini Traffic Authority (ETA) to install traffic-calming measures in the form of speed humps.
The intersection of Collard Road and Acutt Avenue has been a cause for concern for several years, say residents who have not only seen the aftermath of the accidents caused by the speeding but also caught them on CCTV footage.
Dave Lloyd told Northglen News that in the past seven years, he has witnessed four accidents, two of which he said were ‘serious’.
“Speed humps are the best solution to this problem. The latest accident more than a month back was quite serious, and one of those involved in the accident had to be stretchered away by paramedics. I’m convinced if nothing is done soon, there will be a fatality,” he said.
Lloyd added that his initial interaction with the municipality led to a response where they said the road did not meet the requirements for speed humps.
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“They said a team had been sent out to conduct an assessment of the road in terms of traffic volume and speed. They said their findings meant the road did not meet the requirement for speed humps. We have a pre-primary school down the road from this intersection, and several motorists use this as a shortcut to get in and out of the Durban North area, and oftentimes, they speed,” he said.
Fellow resident in the area, Dave Paterson, concurred with Lloyd, saying the speed differential needed to be reduced.
“Oftentimes, motorists speeding up Acutt Avenue from Chris Hani Road (North Coast Road) come up a blind rise at speed, and this intersection, in particular, becomes precarious as residents turning right from Collard Road are at risk. I agree with Dave [Lloyd] – this route has become the quickest way to get in and out of the area, and sadly, it has become somewhat of a race track. Ideally, we hope the ETA will consider installing three speed humps, spread out between the intersection and Acutt Avenue/Ellis Park Drive,” he said.
