MAHIKENG MAIL - MAHIKENG: The North West Department of Public Works and Roads has finally decided to act against the large number of heavy-duty trucks that continually crowd Mahikeng streets, to the irking of local residents and more so, local road users.
There has been a sudden influx of hundreds of heavily loaded trucks crowding the newly overhauled Nelson Mandela Drive in central Mahikeng, since the opening of the road leading in and out of the city towards the Botswana boarder on route towards Lichtenburg and to other parts of the country.
The issue raised wide-spread concern among locals who complain about the driving skills of these truck drivers who show total disregard for the rules of the road by deliberately ignoring traffic lights and stop signs. At times, the truck drivers also drive at full speed, displaying total ignorance of the law and endangering the lives of other road users, including pedestrians.
In response to the outcry of locals, the department announced last week that there were plans underway to address these concerns and also to include several other parts of town where various streets had been affected by the trucks passing through.
These interchanges would lead to a reshape of several parts of Mahikeng town, including the reconstruction of the Mafikeng/Danville town bridge from a two-way to a four-way bridge which would lead to the trucks being diverted to a thoroughfare towards and past Riviera Park suburb past nearby villages including Signal Hill leading towards the Botswana road.
This, according to MEC of the Department of Public Works and Roads, Elizabeth Mokua and Head of Department (HoD) Moss Kgantsi, would address the influx of trucks and other heavy duty vehicles accessing Nelson Mandela Drive.
The two officials’ administration hosted the National Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy during her visit to the North West province last week, as she inspected and handed over several road constructions projects, unveiled the Yellow Fleet Road construction vehicles project and implemented the Operation Vala Zonke pothole management programme.
They expressed concern and confirmed public objections that the trucks were causing major damages to the road even though its construction had not yet been properly completed, which was also a costly project to the department.
