New upgrades being added to Kommetjie Road Fish Hoek
For a long time we have been at the mercy of Kommetjie Road in Fish Hoek. Inadequate crossing points, reckless driving and accident hot spots have contributed to many unnecessary deaths over the years.
Town meetings, demonstrations and lobbying of politicians have finally broken through- democracy at work, albeit too slowly for some residents.
Work began a few weeks ago on the traffic signals on Riverside Road and now I have just learned that a fixed point speed camera has been approved for the road (though I have not yet been informed where it will be situated). The camera is due to be installed as soon as all the paper work is finalized.
Though I do not have the information of where the camera is to be situated one assumes it is to be on the duel carriageway section between Quarry Road and Sun Valley, as there are a number of obstructions that would make the operation from Fish Hoek to Quarry Road difficult.
This would more or less button up that section of the road- I cannot see what else could pragmatically be done, other than putting a camera every 200m.
A good start definitely, and as someone who lives on that section of Kommetjie Road I welcome anything that can slow down traffic. Now attention must turn to the lower section, from Quarry Road to Fish Hoek- a proven horror zone for pedestrians, with no effective crossing points.
And where is the sense in that? There are two schools on that section full of senior students who often need to walk to and from school, to bus stops and taxi ranks. At the very least there should a crossing at the vets (the one crossing on this section of Kommetjie Road is a poorly marked zebra crossing that everyone ignores at 80km per hour).
And that is just the Fish Hoek side of things. Kommetjie Road continues a long way past the town boundaries with all sorts of nasty sections.
What annoys me is that these measures are necessary in the first place. Its very simple really, drive at or below the speed limit, have a properly maintained vehicle, now how to drive , don’t cut people up or overtake where you are not supposed to, and don’t jump red lights and don’t drink and drive. Then there is no problem with Kommetjie Road- it is actually a pretty easy section of road to drive on.
And lets not button hole this as a taxi problem- yes they drive like idiots, yes they cause accidents (Gaby Bouer) but there is a thing that is always overlooked when taxis cause accidents. Statistically they are far more likely to be involved in accidents, even if they are model drivers, because they drive all day everyday. I cannot justify their behaviour, but it is too convenient a scape goat to blame them for all the ills of Kommetjie Road.
Ten minutes observing Kommetjie Road will reveal every horror of what South African drivers are capable of. Speeding, recklessness and poor vehicles are only the beginning. I have seen cell phone users, Mums (with a full load of their most precious cargo) applying make up, people reading newspapers (I kid you not), 3 cars in two lanes, dogs sat on drivers laps … and on and on. Just when you think you have seen all the stupidity possible you see some new craziness. Then you see someone doing this who you know lives on Kommetjie Road, and if they don’t what to care then why should anyone. Fancy German cars seem to be like a flashing blue light these days, a license to do anything you want.
Traffic lights, speed cameras, traffic calming measures, are all great but until drivers realize that they must be responsible not only for their own safety, but that of all road users, we are just putting our fingers in the dyke.