Southern suburbs residents who have been lobbying the City for a traffic light to alleviate congestion at the Mocke Road/De Waal Road intersection, have to keep holding their breath as a solution might not be on the table any time soon.
For several years, the Princess Vlei Civic Association, representing residents from Punts Estate, Heathfield, Southfield, Elfindale and Windsor Park, have complained to the City about daily traffic congestion during peak hours.
Association chairperson, Enver Manneveld, said residents needed to use the roads for access major freeways like the M3 and M5.
“During peak time, in the morning and evening, we struggle to get out of our area with cars piling up because De Waal Road is so backed up and there are no traffic lights coming out of our roads to give us an opportunity to get onto De Waal.
“For years it’s just been excuse after excuse. They go stand there one day for one hour in the morning and by chance there’s no traffic. You need to sit there for over a week then you can see the pattern. We are living this day in, day out,” Manneveld said.
The City said it initiated an investigation of all the intersections along De Waal Road with a view to address congestion “as far as reasonably possible”.
Urban Mobility mayco member Rob Quintas said: “We identified De Waal Road/Main Road as the first priority for an upgrade. Construction of the De Waal Road/Main Road is anticipated to commence later in 2024, if all goes as planned.”
On the Mocke Road/De Waal Road intersection, he added: “Surveys were originally undertaken during 2017 (pre-Covid), however the City’s Transport Planning and Network Management team agreed to review the Mocke Road intersection after the Main Road/ De Waal Road intersection has been completed, as there would likely be a natural transference of traffic. There has therefore been no further decision on the De Waal Road/Mocke Road intersection. An ad hoc observation was undertaken at Mocke Road/De Waal Road on 20 July 2023, between 6:55 and 8:05. Although sporadic queuing extended up the road for short durations during this period, these quickly dissipated.
“Iit would be highly unlikely that the signal warrants per relevant national standards would be satisfied.”
Cape Times