Cape Town - Residents who live next to the R300 highway would rather cross illegally, than use pedestrian bridges for fear of being mugged.
Japie Van Wyk, who lives along the R300 said: “My brother was struck while crossing the highway six years ago; younger people are always more likely to cross than the elderly.”
Ironically, safety is a major concern for residents when crossing bridges, claiming, “there is no policing and it can often be a better option to go across the highway than get ambushed”.
Van Wyk said: “I don’t want to pose safety risks to myself so I will often go 10 to 15 minutes out of my way and walk across the bridge rather than use the freeway, but we need somebody to monitor youngsters.”
Van Wyk often observes five to 10 people crossing, with an increase in major peak periods throughout the morning and evening.
About 27 000 pedestrians were recorded illegally crossing major highways across the Cape in 2014 with the number growing to an estimated 38 000 this year, according to David Frost, Deputy Director of Road Safety Management for the Western Cape.
Western Cape MEC for transport and public works Donald Grant said: “Pedestrians are picked up and dropped off on major highway points, contributing to growing statistics of pedestrian related fatalities.
“In conjunction with this, pedestrians are often seen crossing these roads outside of the pedestrian bridges provided, which is illegal.”
Grant’s spokesman Siphesihle Dube said: “These incidents must be reported to South African Police Services and local authority so as to inform them of where these incidents happen, and preventative measures can be directed to those areas.”
Pedestrian related fatalities are the number one killer of teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17.
Awareness of these risks has become a vital concern for transport and road safety officials initiating projects to emphasise the need to educate pedestrians from a young age.
In light of the start of Global Road Safety week, Child Safe representative Kay Jaffer joined Grant and officials to highlight the risks facing younger pedestrians, especially school pupils.
At the launch held for the Walk This Way campaign on Monday at Masonwabe Primary School, Jaffer said 186 300 pedestrians under the age of 18 died from road traffic accidents.
Jaffer added: “One death is a tragedy, a million is a statistic, we must step away from isolated incidents and give greater numbers the importance they deserve.”
The Western Cape transport service has told motorists to “make the choice to slow down, especially at night around pedestrian knockdown hotspots”.
“It could mean the rate of reaction will increase if a pedestrian does decide to cross dangerously, and in many cases illegally.”
Cape Argus