Four civic organisations from Kenton and Bushman’s River Mouth pleaded in July 2023 for Sanral to urgently address the safety of communities along a dangerous 10-kilometre section of the R72 coastal road that links the seaside towns of the Sunshine Coast. Six months later, the community is mourning the death of a Kenton teenager who was hit by a car on that section.
The 15-year-old girl was walking on the bridge over the Kariega River at around 1.45pm on New Year’s Day when she was hit by a car. She died on the scene. Police said they were investigating a case of culpable homicide and that the circumstances of the child’s death formed part of the investigation. Community members have closed around the child’s heartbroken family and friends in a circle of support.
In a letter dated July 21, 2023, the Boesmansriviermond Ratepayers’ Organisation, Kenton Ratepayers’ Association, Chamber of Business and the Bushmans and Kariega River Estuary Care Management Forum asked the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) for urgent action to address the high-risk traffic situation on that section of the R72. The letter, headed ‘Urgent traffic calming measures requested – R72 Ndlambe Ward 3 & 4’ is addressed to senior Sanral officials. It asks them to address “the high-risk traffic situation on the R72 for the Wards 3 &4 in the Ndlambe municipal area between Kenton Eco Estate and the Boknes/Cannon Rocks turn-off”.
The letter, signed by the chairperson of the Bushmanns River Ratepayers and Residents Association Lotter Weperner, says, “Numerous requests and expression of concern were received with regard to the impact of the increasing traffic volume on the route, the lack of sufficient traffic calming measures with resulting negative impact on the community and visitors to the area.”
Traffic on the R72 had shown significant increase over the past years, Wepener wrote on behalf of the four organisations. “Increased development is taking place in the Ward 3 &4 area, with significantly greater population and economic activity. An additional 500 houses will be constructed at Marselle, which will lead to more vehicle and pedestrian traffic. High accident rates are recorded on the R72 servicing Ward 3 &4, resulting in several fatalities.”
The development of two additional service stations next to the R72 on two of the interchanges would result in more traffic entering and exiting the R72.
“Road shoulders are in a bad state and are in need of maintenance and it can cause severe accidents because of the deep holes and uneven surfaces,” Wepener wrote. “…There are no safe pedestrian crossings on the stretch of road described and a high volume of pedestrians crossing the R72 is experienced since housing developments are on both sides of the R72.”
As the national rail infrastructure further deteriorated, there was increasing road-freight traffic on the R72, making the road.
In the July 2023 letter, Wepener cited a serious accident in June 2023 at the entrance to Marselle as recent evidence of the road’s hazards, including stray cattle.
The impact on the community of the state of that stretch of road was serious, the letter stated, listing road accidents and fatalities, and pedestrian accidents among the hazards.
“The situation is urgent, and it is requested that SANRAL takes the concerns of the Community into consideration in the planning process and consider some interim measures to address the urgent need for traffic calming,” the letter states.
Suggestions included reducing the speed limit and enforcing it through permanent speed cameras in certain sections; introducing traffic calming measures such as speed humps before and on the bridges crossing the estuaries; constructing an underground or overhead pedestrian crossing; controlling the free—roaming livestock; installing a pedestrian sidewalk from Kenton to Klipfontein; introducing traffic circles and/or traffic lights at the interchanges to calm traffic.
Responding to questions from Talk of the Town regarding proposed action to make the R72 safer, Sanral’s Acting Regional Manager for SANRAL Southern Region, Thabiso Ngozwana, said, “SANRAL takes the safety of road users on its network very seriously to such an extent that it has elevated road safety as one of its strategic pillars. All incidents and accidents are investigated to ascertain cause and determine appropriate action. This will be our modus operandi in the case of the accidents on the R72.”
Would Sanral consider compelling heavy vehicles (trucks) to use the N2 rather than the much narrower R72?
“Unfortunately, SANRAL cannot close public roads to categories of vehicles, nor are there any existing legal instruments to do so.”
Would Sanral consider installing speed humps to slow down traffic?
“SANRAL will investigate these unfortunate accidents and implement appropriate preventative actions. We will work closely with provincial and local authorities to identify the appropriate measures on this section of the R72. This may take the form of engineering input, which is within SANRAL’s competence, enforcement and/or education where we will work closely with other authorities.”
TOTT requested a response from Ndlambe Municipality regarding its role in improving safety on the R72. TOTT’s question referred to accidents close to Port Alfred. COmmunications officer TK Mtiki said, “The Provincial roads, specifically R72 and R67 need a collaborative effort from various stakeholders to implement effective measures… We urge all stakeholders, including the community, businesses, and relevant authorities, to join hands in addressing this pressing issue. By fostering a culture of responsible driving and ensuring compliance with traffic regulations, we can collectively contribute to the reduction of accidents and enhance the overall safety of our roads.”
