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As Transport Month comes to an end after a host of activities to highlight what has been achieved over the years, partnerships with the taxi industry, NGOs, safety initiatives and education, maintenance and indabas amongst many other things, safety remains paramount to everything.

Tomorrow, the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport will launch a safety programme from 9am along the Golden Highway. Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport Jacob Mamabolo and MMC for Transport in the City of Johannesburg Cllr Nonhlanhla Makhuba will be in attendance.

“Road accidents involving cars, pedestrians and stray animals are the main contributors in road fatalities in South Africa. The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport through the Directorate Traffic Engineering Services recently completed road safety appraisals with recommendations for the P73-1/Golden Highway and P186-1 N12 freeway Corridor,” says MEC Mamabolo.

MMC Makhuba has called for shared responsibility between motorists and pedestrians along the Golden Highway.

“The Golden Highway was designed for high mobility movement and less accessibility but due to urbanisation and informal settlement closer to the provincial road, communities have gained multiple access and pathways, both legal and illegal for motorists and pedestrians. The conflict between the road users results to a high accident rate especially for pedestrians crossing the road.” 

Previously, a road safety appraisal was conducted on P73/1 and Sheffield Street in Lenasia intersection to alleviate the high accident rate and traffic congestion along the road where sadly the late executive mayor of the City of Johannesburg Jolidee Matongo was killed in an accident.

“Theft of road infrastructure is a major problem along P73/1, the streetlights and traffic lights are dysfunctional because of cable theft. Routine maintenance has been done before but the problem persists resulting in motorists over-speeding, not stopping at the intersections and this is worse at night since visibility is poor and increases pedestrian accidents,” says MMC Makhuba.

A host of safety interventions will take place as part of the launch, from grass cutting to improving visibility, installing guard rails, closing off illegal access, road and street light repairs to painting road markings. 

A pop-up vaccination site will also be set up at Shoprite Golden Highway Lenasia to encourage and vaccinate people.

Issued by The City of Johannesburg