Warwick Bruce Chapman

The Speaker – eThekwini Council
Councillor Logie Naidoo
City Hall
DURBAN

18 August 2012

Dear Mr Speaker

NOTICE OF MOTION IN TERMS OF RULE OF ORDER 13

Note: The answers are listed below the questions.

The Speaker – eThekwini Council
Councillor Logie Naidoo
City Hall
DURBAN
14 October 2011

Dear Mr Speaker

QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF SECTION 17 OF THE RULES OF ORDER

The enforcement of speeding on our roads is a critical exercise to reducing fatal accidents. “Speed Kills” we are told but there are some serious questions about the ability of Metro Police to enforce speed on our roads.

It is in this regard that I table the following questions:

1. The National Department of Transport has recently committed itself to the International “Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020”. Is the eThekwini Municipality aware of this initiative and are we willing to commit this municipality to support the initiative?

2. How many calibrated and functional mobile speed enforcement equipment does the eThekwini Municipality have currently?

3. Are the cameras referred to in 1. above deployed to enforce speed every day, ie. Are there days when the equipment is not all being used for speed enforcement?
3.1. If not, why not?

4. How many prosecutions for speeding were made in the 2010/11 financial year?
4.1. Of those, how many prosecutions were made on the M-roads and N-roads in eThekwini (eg. M13, Western Freeway, M19)?
4.2. Of those, how many prosecutions were made on other classes of municipal road?

5. Is it true that speed is only enforced on residential roads if the average violation is over 20km/h over the limit? (eg. On a 60km/h road, there must be large number of vehicles travelling at over 80 km/h before enforcement will take place)

6. Are there any plans to increase the amount of speed enforcement taking place in eThekwini?
6.1. If yes, have any targets been set?
6.2. If no, why not?

7. Why do Metro Police continue to place unmanned speed cameras on bridges despite a court order ruling this action unlawful?

8. Given the necessity for increased speed enforcement in residential areas, should the cameras in 7. above not be used to make our residential roads safer.

Yours faithfully,

Councillor Warwick Chapman
Democratic Alliance

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Answers as provided at eThekwini Council Meeting on 30 October 2011:

Councillor ZRT Gumede in her capacity as the Chairperson of Health, Safety and Social Services Committee provided the following respective responses:

1. Yes, Council would commit to and participate in this initiative in any way possible.

2. There are five calibrated and functional mobile speed devices in use.

3. Yes, every day with the exception of when there is severe rain or unplanned departmental requirements, i.e. strike action.

4. A total of 134 712 prosecutions were initiated for the 2010/11 financial year, of these 76 236 were enforced on highways, freeways and main roads. We do not do enforcement on national roads; this is undertaken by KZN RTI.

5. An instruction from the KZN Director of Public Prosecutions is that no prosecutions may be initiated for vehicles travelling less than 20 km per hour over the speed limit.

6. Yes, there is an initiative to increase speed enforcement in eThekwini. We are in a process of converting a large number of red robots cameras to speed cameras thus motorists will not only be charged for crossing red robots but also for speeding.

7. Mobile speed equipment and devices are not left unmanned; however enforcement personnel are not required to sit right next to the equipment. This is for personal safety and health reasons, i.e. sun. There is no such court order preventing enforcement on bridges.

8. Speed enforcement by laser camera equipment may only be performed on sites that have been inspected and authorised by the DPP’s office. The DPP’s office has authorised 72 sites for eThekwini mainly on highways, freeways and main roads and urban roads where the stopping of vehicles is considered dangerous to drivers and pedestrians.

Speed and alcohol are the two major causes of fatal accidents on our roads, and the combination of the two are a risk too many people take on a daily basis. In Glenwood in particular, but in the rest of eThekwini in general, motorists have lost their fear of being caught speeding. As a result we’re seeing more frequent occurrences of vehicles speeding on busy residential roads and late at night racing at many times the speed limit.

The tragic deaths of 6 students in Glenwood during May, when their driver lost control and hit a tree at well over twice the speed limit, is one terrifying example of speeding on our residential roads. Many more less serious accidents occur, knocking down walls, fences and light poles and posing a serious risk to other road users.

Myself and my predecessor have been inundated with requests for speedhumps along roads in the Glenwood area. However it neither practical to install speed humps on these longs arterial roads, nor does the council have the budget.

It is my opinion that the only solution to the problem of speeding in residential areas is regular enforcement of speed limits. Driver behaviour will only be changed when every regular driver on our roads is constantly worried about whether they will be caught for speeding or other traffic violations such as jumping robots or stop streets.

A month ago I requested that Metro Police place a focus on speed enforcement on Clark Rd eastbound between Cato and Manning Rds, and requested further that trapping be frequent and random, during the day and especially at night. I further requested a schedule of speed enforcement activities on other roads in Glenwood, not limited to Frere/Bartle and Bulwer/Nicolson roads.

Metro Police have reverted that the complaint is being investigated. I have since escalated this issue to the Director of Specialised Enforcement and will continue to push Metro Police for action.

Enquiries:
Cllr Warwick Chapman
083 7797 094
ward33@ethekwini.org