'Durban has one working speed trap!'

If you're in Durban a sign like this one may be a little optimistic. One of the city's six mobile speed traps is in for repair and the calibration certificates of another four have expired. File picture: David Ritchie / Independent Media

If you're in Durban a sign like this one may be a little optimistic. One of the city's six mobile speed traps is in for repair and the calibration certificates of another four have expired. File picture: David Ritchie / Independent Media

Published Nov 24, 2015

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Durban - Only one of the Metro Police’s six roving speed timing devices is working.

An opposition councillor says he fears the city’s roads are turning into a “haven for speedsters and lawlessness”.

The figure was revealed recently during the eThekwini Health, Safety and Social Services committee meeting, after DA councillor Chris Van den Berg had requested the information from the metro police.

Ashley Dove, director of Durban Metro Police, told councillors that the city had five laser speed timing cameras and one conventional speed timing system.

However, only four of the laser speed timing devices were working, but they were not operational as they needed to be recalibrated.

“One of them is defective and is in for repairs. The conventional speed timing system is (the only one currently) being used by metro police,” Dove said.

Dove said that the laser speed timing devices were last calibrated in February but this was only valid for six months.

“As a result of the expiration of the calibration, the laser speed timing system has not been in use since 31 August 2015,” he said.

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According to figures provided by Dove, there were 19 metro police officers deployed to deal specifically with speed enforcement. They had issued a total of 626 speeding charges during 2015.

Dove said that roads that had netted the highest convictions for speeding - using the conventional speed timing system - were South Coast Road with 35 convictions, Lena Ahrens (Manning) with 30, uMhlanga Rocks Drive with 28, Rick Turner Road (Francois) with 21 and ZK Matthews (Nicholson) with 20.

Speaking to the Daily News after the meeting, Van den Berg said the lack of functioning speed timing devices created a haven for speedsters.

He said speed cameras were a proven method to force motorists to slow down.

POINTLESS

“I have seen cars end up on roofs of houses and through people’s walls. It is simply because they are not enforcing the by-laws. We, as a city, need to ensure that the laws are upheld because they are pointless if they are not enforced.

“People complain constantly about speeding and, when they request speed humps in their area, they are told their purpose is not to regulate driver behaviour, only speed cameras can. So the question is, why do we not have functioning speed cameras?” he said.

Van den Berg said that the speed enforcement section of the metro police was not doing its job.

“The figures for speed charge issues are revealing because, if you calculate it, it means that the 19 officers are only issuing two to five fines each per month. Something is very wrong here.

“Also, what have they been doing since August when the laser timing devices stopped working?” he asked. “That is another concern.”

Daily News

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