Residents living near Marine Drive, which spans from Paarden Island to Table View, are experiencing increasing agitation as a result of illegal street racing. The relentless noise and screeching brakes have reportedly become an unbearable nuisance, leaving communities sleepless at night.
Also read: Alleged illegal street racers linked to car crashing into Milnerton Lagoon
Fiona Adams, who resides just a few metres away from the busy road, revealed to TygerBurger the extent of her ordeal, stating, ‘I wake up more than five times each night due to the noise.’
The majority of complaints point to illegal racing occurring predominantly during the early hours of Saturday and Sunday. Charmaine Warburton, a resident living opposite Marine Drive and the lagoon, claimed to have witnessed a recent incident from her bedroom window. She described this particular stretch of road as notorious for street racing.
According to Warburton, two street racers lost control of their vehicle, causing it to veer off the road and plunge into the lagoon. Fortunately, the driver, identified as Jamie, managed to escape the car and swim approximately 20 metres to safety.
‘After midnight, cars race down Marine Drive, and nothing is being done. There are no speed cameras on this road. I’ve notified the councillor and the City countless times, but my complaints just fall on deaf ears,’ Warburton said.
Upon being approached for comment, Maxine Bezuidenhout, spokesperson for the City’s traffic service, stated that they frequently address complaints of street racing on the R27 in Table View/Blaauwberg.
Bezuidenhout confirmed that the Ghost Squad, a specialised traffic unit, responded to the complaint on the R27 on Monday, 29 May, and again on Wednesday, 31 May. However, this presence has not been sufficient to deter illegal racing.
Residents like Adams find the lack of Ghost Squad patrol on this road disconcerting.
‘They are aware that this road is the preferred racing spot, yet they are rarely seen,’ she said.
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Despite repeatedly notifying the police about the illegal racing, no effective action has been taken. Frustrated with the situation, residents are demanding the installation of CCTV cameras to aid in the identification and apprehension of reckless drivers.
‘There are only two speed cameras on that stretch of road with countless traffic robots. Surely they can put up some CCTV cameras and more speeding cameras,’ Adams asserted.
In response to the demand for CCTV cameras, Brigadier Dirk Vosloo, the station commander of Milnerton police, revealed during a recent meeting with the Milnerton Community Policing Forum (CPF) that there is currently no funding available for such measures. Vosloo suggested approaching the local ward councillor to request funding or, alternatively, relying on private security services.
The CPF meetings have reportedly highlighted the metro police’s presence in Phoenix and their efforts to apprehend drunk drivers, with 37 suspects detained in Slovo and several in Dunoon. The metro police, in collaboration with other partners such as the police, have been actively issuing fines and addressing various hotspots, with regular distribution of educational pamphlets to the public.
‘During a coordinated prosecution, about 687 total fines were issued, and many hotspots were handled in collaboration with other partners, such as the police. It was reported that once a month, pamphlets were distributed to educate general members,’ Vosloo explained.
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