Efforts to improve road safety around schools in Lyttelton are underway, with the two additional schools prioritised for road-marking improvements.
The work, which addressed faded road markings, was started after residents and parents raised concerns about visibility and safety in the area and follows recent partial repainting work completed by the metro outside Lyttelton Manor High School on June 12.
Freedom Front Plus PR Councillor Wesley Jacobs has announced plans to prioritise road-marking interventions at Hoërskool Centurion and Lyttelton Primary School once the remaining work at Lyttelton Manor High School is completed.
Jacobs expressed satisfaction that the recent efforts signify progress, even if limited by available resources.
“While we were only able to complete part of the work at Lyttelton Manor High School due to resource constraints, it is still a step forward.”
The section addressed at the school includes the area between the traffic circle and the school entrance, extending towards the parking bays.
However, Jacobs revealed that the repainting was limited because only two buckets of white paint and one bucket of yellow paint were available.
“The paint was sourced from Region 4 stores, but the limited supply prevented municipal teams from completing all the necessary markings around the school,” he said.
He explained that the three buckets of paint were intended as a temporary measure and added that he is currently engaging with metro officials to secure additional resources to finish the work at Lyttelton Manor High School and begin improvements at the other two schools.
“Complaints regarding the faded markings outside Lyttelton Manor High School were first received on June 7 from concerned residents and parents. The complaints focused on the poor visibility of road markings and parking bays, which were seen as safety hazards for both motorists and learners.”
While these complaints were recent, Jacobs noted that improving road markings around schools had been a priority of his since January. However, budget constraints and resource challenges within the municipality delayed the initiative.
He attributed the current state of the road markings to prolonged neglect and a lack of maintenance over the past two school terms.
“It is uncertain when the last maintenance was done, as it seems not to have been a priority to other decision-makers,” he said.
He further criticised what he sees as a broader failure to implement planned maintenance across the city.
According to Jacobs, road-marking maintenance in school zones is effectively non-existent, with no evidence that schools are being prioritised in regional planning discussions.
“There has been no presentation or provision made in any Regional Councillors Forum meetings that highlights plans or plans for maintenance within the region and wards.
“The main challenge remains the same: budget constraints. But this is also a result of a total lack of planned maintenance,” he said.
He emphasised that the problem extends beyond Lyttelton.
“The issue is a lack of maintenance, which is not only specific to Lyttelton or Ward 57 but across the entire city. I will continue to do the best I can with what I have to service my community,” added Jacobs.
Tshwane metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo previously confirmed to Rekord that the metro’s approach to road-marking maintenance is largely reactive due to financial constraints.
He explained that the metro does not currently follow a scheduled preventative maintenance programme for road markings and work is undertaken on a reactive basis, with priority given to critical locations such as intersections and pedestrian crossings.
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