This week Saki Butler asks:
What procedure needs to be followed to stop the daily speeding and unsafe traffic on 3rd Avenue that travels straight through Linden, passing schools and churches. Buses and taxis zoom up and down the hill with no regard for speed limits. On weekends there is drag racing, probably due to the fact that 3rd Avenue is straight, all the way from Cresta over the hill and down to Tana Road on the edge of Emmarentia. Is traffic calming an option?
This constant noise is a nuisance and aggravation… for residents living in 3rd Avenue.
There is no need for public transport to use this road as their main option to access Cresta, Republic Road, Windsor and so forth. Two perfectly adequate main roads exist to serve this purpose.
Ward 99 councillor, Nicole van Dyk, answers:
Traffic management and law enforcement in the City of Joburg is a very real issue for both myself and my fellow councillors. We need a much more effective response to traffic violations from Metro police. From here on I will see to it that Metro police do random exercises on the main avenues.
If drag racing occurs in Linden, specifically on 3rd Avenue, I have never seen it and no evidence has been provided before. It is, however, very dangerous and I urge you to provide myself and the authorities with any evidence including photos, videos and details of the vehicles and drivers involved, and I will work directly with Metro police to find, convict and sentence the perpetrators to the full extent of the law.
Johannesburg, recently rated one of the fifth most traffic-congested cities in the world, is an ever-expanding city, with more and more people making their homes here. Like many world-class cities that are business hubs, public transport is one of the keys to our success.
1st Avenue, 3rd Avenue and to a degree, 4th Avenue, have become necessary main traffic routes that we as a city need to serve the needs of the increase in residents. The message for change here is that we need more people to use public transport in the city to alleviate the pressure on our roads.
Do you have a question for a ward councillor?
As a local newspaper, the Randburg Sun provides a platform for residents to learn about, understand and follow local government. As an extension of that, there is a weekly column called Councillor’s Corner, which is a platform for you, our readers, to voice your concerns or questions for ward councillors to respond to. Send your burning question via email to aimeed@caxton.co.za
Details: Nicole van Dyk at ward99jozi@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @myleadernicole and on Facebook.
