Cape Town - The city of will review the signage of a stop sign at the bottom of Ou Kaapse Weg near Tokai which has caused confusion among motorists and resulted in a string of hefty fines.
The stop sign has long been the topic of conversation on Facebook community groups with motorists saying the stop sign is for heavy vehicles exceeding 3.5 tons only and does not apply to cars.
Milkwood Park resident Ann MacGregor said she was under the same impression but her failing to stop at the said stop sign resulted in a R1500 fine. She said she was not sure where she had transgressed and went to the Green Point traffic department where she viewed the video of her transgression.
“I was very surprised when the official told me that I was supposed to stop," she said, "but the video made it clear that I was not the only one misinterpreting the sign, as all the cars behind me also didn't stop.
She added that there was no indication that the stop sign applied to cars, saying she did not intend to pay the fine and was willing to go to court to resolve the matter.
Numerous collisions
Mayoral committee member for transport and urban development Brett Herron explained the compulsory stop was specifically aimed at heavy vehicles exceeding 3.5 tons and the stop was implemented after numerous collisions at the bottom of Ou Kaapse Weg where runaway trucks ended up in Silvertree Estate.
He said it should be noted that the stop sign currently on display is not selective and shows the “stop” message along with a camera, and therefore applies to all traffic in the heavy vehicle lane. The signage above “compulsory stop” conveys the message that the lane is intended for use by heavy vehicles only.
“We're reviewing the signage," he said, "to make the message even clearer that light motor vehicles should not use that lane."
He went on to explain that the first part of an automated camera enforcement solution has been installed they will monitor transgressions at this site as well as detect which heavy vehicle drivers do not use the compulsory lane.