Green light for Moss Kolnik robots
Vehicle collisions and lost lives at the dangerous intersection of Moss Kolnik and Blaze Roads will hopefully soon be a thing of the past.
eThekwini Municipality will install traffic lights at the intersection on behalf of the road owner, the KZN Department of Transport (KZNDOT). However, Southgate Industrial Park management do not think this will solve the problem.
Management said it has been fighting with the NPA and eThekwini Municipality for 19 years to get something done about another dangerous intersection on Moss Kolnik, at the entrance to the park. The problem, according to the park’s management, is the road from the Arbour Road traffic lights to the bridge belongs to the NPA and the rest of the road from the bridge belongs to eThekwini Municipality.
“It’s a crazy situation,” said a member of the management team who did wish to be named. “Nothing else but speed is to blame for all the accidents over the years. It is absolutely terrifying to see the speed at which some of the trucks come down this road. I am sick and tired of it. It will not help erecting another set of traffic lights at the intersection of Moss Kolnik and Blaze Road. All it will do is back up the traffic and lead to frustrations. Rather, we need speed humps, and significant ones to slow down these trucks. We would like to see something done about it.”
Toti resident Hylton Laue is just one of many who called for a solution to the ongoing problem at the intersection of Moss Kolnik and Blaze Road. “This intersection has resulted in a number of deaths and numerous accidents since Southgate was opened a few years ago,” he said. “My wife was almost killed at this intersection in June 2008. She spent two months in ICU and has never recovered properly.
In July 2008 I spoke to someone who worked in traffic planning who said speed humps would never be erected on this road because it is classified as a main road. Traffic lights would also never be installed because of the cost.
Hardly a week goes by without another incident at this intersection. How many more people must be injured or killed before traffic lights are installed? This should be on the top of the city’s priority list.”
Hylton sent queries to eThekwini Municipality’s Cebo Cele via email. In his reply, Cele said the road belongs to province and not eThekwini Municipality. “However, the KZN Department of Transport (KZNDOT) has requested eThekwini Municipality to install traffic lights on its behalf. The delay now will be in accessing funding from the KZNDOT.” – earlb@dbn.caxton.co.za
