Dangerous crossing

Clare Bowen, Table View

Using the pedestrian crossing, when the green pedestrian light is flashing, is supposed to be so safe, that even blind people can get across without much risk.

Well, this is definitely not the case during the weekday morning “rush period”.

It is, in fact, the most dangerous time to cross at the intersection at Penz Drive/Blaauwberg Road.

There are many motorists who ignore the regulatory no U-turn sign and, while performing this illegal move, cross this pedestrian crossing, exactly at the same time as the green pedestrian light is flashing.

The arrogance of some of them is astounding.

Some even hoot or show rude gestures to people who dare to be crossing.

I’ve seen all types of people, including elderly people and children, literally run for safety under these circumstances.

Ignorant, greedy people, who think they’re clever by doing this U-turn (which is ridiculous because there are no houses feeding into that section of the street, only Bayside mall) will rob a family of a loved one and, themselves, face charges of culpable homicide, as was the case of the motorist who killed a motorcyclist in 2017, while performing an illegal U-turn. This means jail time.

I wonder how clever they will think they are when they sit in a jail cell and ponder what they’ve done? Destroying other’s lives as well as their own. All for the sake of what?

And why are officials not enforcing this traffic regulation, City of Cape Town? Are you waiting for more people to be killed at that intersection before you take any meaningful action? You disgust me.

The traffic official who you do place there from time to time, watches this happen and does nothing. Who can forget the mother of three who was knocked down and killed at that intersection last year?

Every single day that I cross there, I think of her children who are without their mother.