Cape Town - Efforts are being stepped up to make the N2 near Cape Town International Airport safer following a spate of robberies.
The arrests of six men in Gugulethu at the weekend in connection with the attacks did not mean interventions should be suspended, Community Safety MEC Dan Plato said on Monday.
Although more frequent patrols had been in place for a couple of weeks, his department, the police, and the provincial and metro traffic services had agreed that at least one police vehicle should be patrolling the N2 and R300 – where similar attacks had occurred – at all times.
Also, the CCTV operations centre would increase its monitoring to 24 hours.
It had also been decided to clear any vegetation near the road in which would-be robbers could hide, Plato said.
The section of the N2 near Cape Town International Airport has become a hot spot, with robbers placing rocks in the road to stop vehicles. Last week, two motorists were stopped – one by stones thrown at his vehicle, and the other by rocks in the road.
Last month, SAA cabin crew member Wesley Ford hit a rock, severely damaging his car. When he stopped three men accosted him. He was left with bruised ribs, forearm and right thigh.
The six men arrested had been expected to appear in court yesterday, but did not. It could not be established why.
“I thank those involved for their continued dedication in ensuring safety along the N2 and R300,” Plato said.
He appealed to people with information about the attacks to contact the Department of Community Safety’s policing complaints hotline on 021 483 4332.
Cape Times