Cape Town - Residents and visitors of the Sea Point area were urged to stick to the speed limit and road rules after several speed cameras were installed in the area to assist in reducing excessive speeding, illegal street races and noisy vehicle complaints.
Sea Point ward councillor Nicola Jowell said the implementation of these speed cameras formed part of a pilot project that was initiated by the traffic department.
“The project was endorsed and approved by the head of prosecutions to address some of the areas of concern in Sea Point regarding speeding and noisy vehicles. This really aims to address the issues around speeding on the main routes where most problems occurred, where most complaints are received from, and where speed enforcement cameras are permitted to be placed,” Jowell said.
Traffic Service spokesperson Kevin Jacobs added that this project was part of the City’s efforts to address ongoing complaints about speeding and poor driver behaviour in the area.
Jacobs said the Sea Point and Green Point area was one of the hotspot areas for illegal street racing, which this project would also have an effect on.
“Illegal speed racing is an element in Sea Point but it is not the most problematic of the concerns in the area, although excessive speed is very evident and we have seen a number of very bad accidents occurring,” Jowell said.
Jowell said as long as people drove within the speed limits then there would be no issue with residents or visitors in the area.
“The speed limits are well marked throughout the area, bearing in mind that Beach Road which is a scenic route is a 50 km/h zone and the other areas such as Helen Suzman would be a 60 km/h zone. These are some of the areas where we do see excessive speeding, along with the main road,” Jowell said.
Jowell could not release information about the placement of the cameras, but said they have covered the area extensively.
The City’s Speed Enforcement Unit conducted nine speed enforcement checks in Sea Point and surroundings in January where a total of 3 456 cases were recorded, 11 speed checks conducted and a high speed of 143 km/h was recorded.