Ndebele launches Edendale’s millions worth bridge and boundary to save lives

Citing research conducted by the University of Natal’s accident research centre on the unsafe conditions along the main Edendale Road, Mr Ndebele said: "Even people using the road see it as unsafe – 46 percent of people interviewed say this road is unsafe. That is why we have not only built a bridge, but we also provided a barrier so that people would not cross the road. "

Apparently, the previous boundaries that prevent pedestrians from crossing the road at that particular spot have been vulnerable. That is why the Department has now installed a stronger one that will survive man’s unending inclination to temper with boundaries for his convenience.

Mr Ndebele lamented the fact that people tended to want to reach their destination quicker even at the cost of their lives. He said it was suicidal to cross the road where they were most likely to be knocked down by speeding vehicles along the main road – inconveniencing the traffic flow, especially the busy taxis.

He recalled: "Our statistics indicate that from the first of December, 2002 to the fifteenth January, 2003, 293 people died in KwaZulu Natal, and 1 467 people died in South Africa. Of those who died in KwaZulu Natal, 57 were drivers. Hundred and six were passengers, but 130 of them were pedestrians.

"Throughout the country, more pedestrians were killed than drivers and passengers. We have not concentrated on pedestrians. We are killing more pedestrians on our roads and it has to come to an end.

"As a Department with a road safety education mandate to save lives, we rightfully continue focussing on discouraging drivers from driving beyond the speed limit, we say they must not drink and drive, and we punish them if they do, but we have not been concentrating our efforts on combating drinking and walking.

Mr Ndebele warned: "Our Road Traffic Inspectorate, together with Municipal Police, must begin to arrest those pedestrians who avoid crossing overhead bridges – that is, of crossing the road where it would be most unsafe for him to do so."

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