High-risk Zone

I HAVE been a resident of Kleine Kuppe for the last five years and there is something that I would like to bring to the attention of the City of Windhoek officials, the residents of Kleine Kuppe and Cimbebasia and the public at large, especially those who happen to be driving through the Auas Road and Frank Fredericks Street intersection on a daily basis.

The fact of the matter is that there is always a car accident, involving a collision of two or more cars every other week – if not on a weekly basis. I find it very strange that the Traffic Department of the City of Windhoek has put a big white signboard some 200 metres from that intersection with the words: “HIGH RISK ACCIDENT ZONE” but they do not bother to erect traffic lights there.That intersection is quite busy, especially during the morning rush hours because most the motorists from Cimbebasia as well as those from Kleine Kuppe pass through that, depending on where one works and where one’s kids go to school.Both these areas are suburbs with no schools and almost no business or commercial activities except for the Trade Centre.This means that a good number of local residents commute every morning to go to work or conduct business somewhere else.Big trucks and other vehicles coming from South Africa and the south of the country in general, pass through that intersection as well.How many car accidents does the City of Windhoek want to see before common sense about the need to put up traffic lights there can dawn on them? I do not know whether the issue has perhaps been raised at some of the meetings that the Councillor for the area had with the residents in the past or not.If it has been raised at such meetings at all, and assuming that Council has been duly informed, my next question is when will actual implementation happen or is it simply not on their priority list despite the fact that people’s lives are at stake here.If it has not been raised yet then I want to urgently bring it to the attention of the relevant authorities.On a personal note, may I add that a few years ago I had to attend to a friend who was involved in a car accident at that very intersection.Fortunately his injuries were not very serious.Every motorist from the two suburbs who uses that route will definitely agree with my statistics of a car accident taking place at least every other week or so.It is high time that the City of Windhoek took concrete steps to address this problem once and for all, i.e.putting up traffic lights at the Auas Road – Frank Fredericks intersection, because in their own words it is “A HIGH RISK ACCIDENT ZONE.”Gerson U Tjihenuna Via e-mailI find it very strange that the Traffic Department of the City of Windhoek has put a big white signboard some 200 metres from that intersection with the words: “HIGH RISK ACCIDENT ZONE” but they do not bother to erect traffic lights there.That intersection is quite busy, especially during the morning rush hours because most the motorists from Cimbebasia as well as those from Kleine Kuppe pass through that, depending on where one works and where one’s kids go to school.Both these areas are suburbs with no schools and almost no business or commercial activities except for the Trade Centre.This means that a good number of local residents commute every morning to go to work or conduct business somewhere else.Big trucks and other vehicles coming from South Africa and the south of the country in general, pass through that intersection as well.How many car accidents does the City of Windhoek want to see before common sense about the need to put up traffic lights there can dawn on them? I do not know whether the issue has perhaps been raised at some of the meetings that the Councillor for the area had with the residents in the past or not.If it has been raised at such meetings at all, and assuming that Council has been duly informed, my next question is when will actual implementation happen or is it simply not on their priority list despite the fact that people’s lives are at stake here.If it has not been raised yet then I want to urgently bring it to the attention of the relevant authorities.On a personal note, may I add that a few years ago I had to attend to a friend who was involved in a car accident at that very intersection.Fortunately his injuries were not very serious.Every motorist from the two suburbs who uses that route will definitely agree with my statistics of a car accident taking place at least every other week or so.It is high time that the City of Windhoek took concrete steps to address this problem once and for all, i.e.putting up traffic lights at the Auas Road – Frank Fredericks intersection, because in their own words it is “A HIGH RISK ACCIDENT ZONE.”Gerson U Tjihenuna Via e-mail