Johannesburg motorists had been using roads as a ”speeding track” since traffic law enforcement authorities in parts of Gauteng were barred from using speed cameras on some of the busiest roads in the city, metro police said on Saturday.
The cameras were switched off until further notice, after traffic authorities failed to submit applications requesting permission from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), to use the cameras.
”Motorists have noticed that cameras are not working, they are therefore driving over the limit and causing a greater accident risk,” said Johannesburg metro police director Gerrie Gerneke.
Almost 40 cameras were switched off on January 22 2008, including on most of the arterial roads within the city. Traffic officials were supposed to have handed in applications to the administration offices at the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court before January 15.
Metro police spokesperson Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said the department had submitted their application on time, but glitches had occurred at the court’s administration offices.
Gerneke said the most dangerous roads on which motorists were speeding excessively included Heidleberg Road past Newmarket Road — which is a heavy industrial area and posed a risk for pedestrians — Barry Hertzog Avenue, Beyers Naude Drive, Comaro Road and Jan Smuts Avenue.
”We managed to cut down accidents on Heidelberg Road — previously a high accident zone — since cameras were installed … now that motorists have discovered that the cameras are not working, they are speeding once again,” he said.
Gerneke said cameras that caught motorists driving through a red traffic signal were also not operational and this posed a problem for accident investigations.
”A motorist who caused an accident by shooting a red traffic light could claim that it was green and we would not have a record of this.”
In the meantime, Minnaar said police were using laser cameras to detect speeding motorists on almost 30 major roads in the area.
”A police officer using a tripod camera takes note of the car and the speed it was driving at. The officer then radios another officer about a kilometre away. This officer — who drives a fast car, such as a Golf GTI — then chases and stops the vehicle. The driver is immediately arrested,” Minnaar said.
Other areas where cameras were not operational were Mogale City and Ekurhuleni.
Permission for cameras to be used has only been granted in the Roodepoort area. – Sapa