MEDIA RELEASE
Taking Road Safety to the communities at Cliffdale and Peacevale, Durban
Community of Cliffdale, Peacevale and Drummond listening attentively to presentations during the road safety campaign near the Key Ridge project upgrades
Pietermaritzburg, 20 October 2024 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) conducted a safety awareness campaign at the African Congregation Church in Cliffdale to raise road safety awareness among the Cliffdale and Peacevale communities following the increased number of road accidents around the Key Ridge project upgrades.
Key Ridge continues to experience pedestrian fatalities, injuries and car accidents. This is a great cause for concern as there is still a long way to go until the upgrades on this strategic road, that is part of the N2-N3 project, is concluded.
Speaking at a road safety campaign event for local communities in Cliffdale and Peacevale, Nomcebo Cebekhulu, SANRAL’s Marketing Communications specialist in the Eastern Region, said: “When SANRAL puts up these contracts, it does so to improve the roads and in turn improve the lives of the people around, not to hinder them. We appeal to all community members to respect the rules of the road for their own safety and the safety of others. Any loss of life is regrettable. Take all necessary precautions when approaching the massive construction in the vicinity of Key Ridge.”
The road safety event informed communities about the dangers of crossing prohibited areas and the importance of adhering to the prescribed speed limits, especially during construction, and encouraged them to observe safety signs erected around the construction sites.
Ntokozo Khoza, of the eThekwini Transport Authority, added to SANRAL’s plea and encouraged the community to stay safe. He said, “The important thing to note is that pedestrians are not allowed on the national road. Our local stats show that every day at least two people are killed on the road in eThekwini, with pedestrians making up most of that number. We wish to reduce our accidents by half by 2030, and this will take a collaborative effort between us all.”
Makgera Raphalu, a safety officer of construction company WBHO, reiterated the plea made to pedestrians by sharing stats of incidents that have occurred since the commencement of the project. “We’ve had 140 accidents in Key Ridge so far and nine fatalities since the start of the project, one and half years ago. Crossing the freeway is not allowed. There are designated areas pedestrians can use when crossing the road.”
Lindelihle Zikalala, SANRAL’s Road Incident Management System coordinator, asked the community to adhere to all the safety messages and to be careful when accidents occur near construction sites.
“We must have an understanding of what is expected of us regarding safety and that we do as advised. People have a habit of rushing to accident scenes without knowing if any of the vehicles involved carries harmful materials,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the community, Ward 103 Councillor Linda Mchunu welcomed the warnings and encouraged community members to try harder to keep themselves and others safe. “We welcome the opportunities brought by SANRAL and the safety initiative to help us see the dangers on the road. For me, this is service delivery. I ask for the people present today to pass it on to others at home.”
Closing off the session, Durban Metro Police’s Captain Dube said, “In the time we have spent here, there is a lot that we could have done out there, but I’m here to talk to you, the community, because you’re still alive. SANRAL is doing this campaign because they want you to be safe. Stop disobeying the rules of the road. Speed kills. Road safety is a collective responsibility, and we all must play our roles, pedestrians and motorists. Make sure your vehicle is roadworthy.”
//ENDS