Placing a speed bump in Nursery Way, Pinelands, can improve traffic safety in a cul-de-sac, where there are three schools and a place of worship, a sub-council meeting heard last week.
Every morning during school peak hours from 7.30am to 8.20 am, parents drop their children off at Cannons Creek high and primary schools, Meerendal Pre-Primary School, and people attend the Pinelands Islamic Centre during the week for classes and on Fridays for prayers.
At the sub-council meeting in Pinelands last Wednesday, councillor Brian Watkyns noted the requests from schools and residents for a speed bump between Cannons Creek Independent School and Meerendal Pre-primary School.
The meeting heard that Nursery Way, a narrow two-way road, experienced daily traffic congestion in the mornings.
According to the sub-council report proponents of the speed bump say speeding cars in the area threaten the safety of parents and children crossing the road; there is congestion caused by water-and-sanitation trucks refilling at a water point near the pre-primary school in Nursery Way; and school pupils cross the road throughout the day from Cannons Creek to the sportfields by Hobbies Club.
Mike van Haght, the principal of the high school, said their main worry was speeding happening outside of peak hours.
“We are requesting the speed bumps to slow traffic down, not to ease traffic congestion.”
He noted that Cannon Creek parents used a drop-off facility to avoid traffic build-up in Nursery Way.
But Meerendal Pre-Primary only has four parking bays in front of the school, and school secretary Tracy McPetrie said school policy required parents to take their children into the school.
The school, she said, had an agreement with Pinelands Islamic Centre to use its parking to avoid congestion.
Mr Watkyns said the City’s Transport and Urban Development Authority (TDA) would assess the application after which sub-council would make the final decision . The process could take two to three months.
He said a speed bump could cost R30 000 and he didn’t have the money in his ward budget for it.
He said the schools could help by covering the cost of the speed bump if it was approved.
John Berry, chairperson of the Pinelands Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association said, “We battle to get these measures in place but if the school is willing to meet the City to pay for it then it is a win-win situation.”
