Missing or damaged road signs are still an enormous problem in the city, causing dangerous situations for motorists.
One such sign is the one-way directional sign on the corner of Thabo Mbeki and Dorp streets. The street name signpost is damaged and the signs are pointing in the wrong directions, causing confusion, especially to motorists unfamiliar with the area. A signpost on this corner, that indicates which way to go to find the N1 and R101 is also pointing in the wrong direction.
According to various residents, they have reported this matter on numerous occasions to the municipality to no avail. Michael Jordaan expressed his concern over this dangerous intersection, which is also close to a school.
“Both Dorp and Thabo Mbeki Streets are main roads and visitors to the city are guaranteed to travel along them some time. This was my main concern expressed in a letter I wrote to the municipality, but I have not received any response,” he said.
Missing street name signposts could also be a problem when emergency personnel need to find a specific address quickly, according to Jackson Komane, and emergency medical technician. “When an emergency vehicle is called out, it is often for a life or death situation and time is of the essence in these matters. Wasting time driving up the wrong street or looking for a street name may mean the difference between a person getting the help they need, or dying because it took too long for the emergency service to get to the scene,” he explained.
Municipal spokesperson, Matshidiso Mothapo, said on a previous occasion that the municipality replaced traffic lights and road signs that were damaged in accidents immediately. He further said repairs of road signs could often depend on the availability of material from the roads and stormwater section, as well as the extent of the damage to the sign.
Many traffic and road signs were vandalised, he said. He appealed to residents to report any person who was seen vandalising these signs.
All damaged signs should be reported to the municipality’s roads and stormwater section at (015) 290 2372.
