Need for speed humps sends residents behind bars

RIVERSIDE – About 30 members of the community of Riverside outside Jane Furse within Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality were recently arrested after barricading the main road as they erected their own speed humps.

The residents’ action, to erect their own speed humps, emanated from a recent incident in which a 59 year-old man was killed in an alleged hit-and-run while attempting to cross the busy road.

The residents complained that several of their attempts to get the authorities to address the issue of the need for speed humps on the road fell on deaf ears.

They claim that motorists take advantage of the lack of the humps on the road and drive at high speeds, putting lives, especially of pedestrians at risk.

According to the residents, the driver of the vehicle which hit and killed the 59 year-old man escaped the scene.

Attempts to get comment from the South African Police Service (SAPS) were not successful at the time of going to press.

Residents of Tafelkop within the Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality also embarked on a similar process to erect man-made speed humps on the main road linking the area to Groblersdal Town and Monsterlus area about three years ago.

The angry residents then, said the move was intended at showing authorities the need for the humps on the road as lives continued to be lost as a result of speeding vehicles.

At the time, they said they approached the authorities several times on the matter but their please bore no fruits.