Durban - Many attempts to establish cycling forums – especially one that will represent Durban as a whole – have failed to receive the desired response from those involved in the sport, says a senior city roads official.
Carlos Esteves, deputy head: road system management for eThekwini Transport Authority, was commenting yon Monday on the Sunday morning M4 Ruth First Freeway crash which killed cyclists, Richard da Silva, 46 and Jared Dwyer, 36.
Cycling SA’s head of events, safety and security, Craig Proctor-Parker, told the Daily Newsthat the eThekwini Municipality needed to meet sports governing bodies to find ways to improve the safety of all athletes ahead of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
He said the metro had taken down the sign prohibiting cycling on the M4 and that the dedicated cycling lanes on Waterkant Road, alongside the freeway, were frequently obstructed by parked vehicles.
Esteves said the municipality could not comment on the signboard and the metro’s signage department would have to look into it.
“We can show records that prove that we’ve tried to establish a cycling forum that will represent eThekwini as a whole, but the response to this hasn’t been good.
“With regards to Sunday morning’s accident, the speeding issue really needs to be addressed. All the issues arising after the carnage can be raised with the relevant departments.
“We welcome engagements with roleplayers in an endeavour to avert such accidents from happening,” Esteves said.
The DA’s Dean Macpherson, MP, said a culture of speeding and drunk driving persisted in Durban with policing efforts clearly failing to stop this.
“Nationally, we lose R306 billion per year due to road crashes. This tragedy should serve as a wake-up call to the city and province to radically re-think how it deals with what is now a crisis,” said Macpherson.
He said he would be writing to Transport Minister, Dipuo Peters, requesting she urgently convenes a meeting with eThekwini Municipality, the KZN provincial government and law enforcement agencies to chart a plan of action that can be monitored by her office.
Daily News