WATCH: Children and residents protest against speedsters

BLUFF residents who have been left fed up with motorists ignoring traffic lights at a particular pedestrian crossing – endangering the lives of people, especially children – took to the streets in a bid to create awareness.

Scores of residents and primary school children displaying placards with the words, ‘Don’t Kill Us’, ‘Save Our Children’, ‘STOP’, among others, stood at the Bluff Road traffic lights last week.

Lorna Aylward, the owner of a pre-primary school, said she has to pray every day when she collects learners from Marlborough Park Primary School who attend her aftercare. She, together with a teacher at her school, fetches about 40 learners from grades R to 3 at different times – 12:30, 13:30 and 14:30. On Fridays, they pick up all of the learners at 12:30. The school is situated at the corner of Bluff Road and Peacehaven Place.

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She said that despite a scholar patrol assisting them at the crossing, motorists continue to drive through the red traffic light.

“It is absolute chaos. As we walk from the school to the crossing, I start praying to God to help us get across the road safely. It is frustrating even with the scholar patrol in the middle of the road holding a stop sign, and while the traffic light is red, these drivers continue to speed through it. They completely disregard him and the children.

“It is worse when there is load-shedding – we dare not try to cross. I have sleepless nights as these children are my responsibility, and I have to take them across a road which is a possible death trap. We need some sort of measure in place, such as speed trapping or cameras, to serve as a deterrent. We cannot wait for a child or any resident to die before something is done,” she said.

Jason Johnson, Marlborough Park Primary School’s governing body treasurer, said the learners use the crossing in the mornings and afternoon.

“Many of our learners walk home from school, and it is supposed to be the ‘safest’ place for them to cross. Last year, one of our learners was knocked over and seriously injured. We had contacted the police for assistance, but they were here for only a few days, and it was back to square one,” he said.

Mpume Motseki, a parent who was at the demonstration, said her nine-year-old son was left shaken after he was almost knocked over last week.

“My child has been left traumatised after he was almost run over by a driver who skipped the red light. As a parent, I am fearful of the day I receive a call that my child or any other child has been knocked over. These drivers have no respect for the laws of the road,” she said.

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Zoë Solomon, Ward 66 councillor, said she would be approaching the eThekwini Transport Authority to have a pedestrian crossing constructed closer to the school.

“In recent days, we have had an increase in people completely ignoring the scholar patrol and the red traffic light which are there for the children to cross safely. It is an absolute abomination how badly people ignore the rules of the road. There is going to be a terrible massacre of children crossing the road if people don’t start to be aware and obey the rules of the road.

“I have approached Metro Police, however, they are terribly strapped for resources so are unable to give us a pointsman here. I will be approaching the eThekwini Transport Authority to implement a pedestrian crossing closer to the school, which will mean the children will only have to cross over two lanes instead of four. There is not a lot we can change in this area, however, what must change is people’s attitudes and shocking behaviour,” she said.

Gugu Sisilana, eThekwini Municipality spokesperson, said the matter has been escalated to Metro Police to look into.

She added that traffic rules were implemented for a reason.

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“Without them, there would be terrible consequences such as confusion on the road, injuries and the tragic loss of life. We urge motorists and pedestrians to abide by the rules of the road,” she said.

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