Notorious Voëlklip road not the problem, road user behaviour is: Herolds Bay residents

26 February 2021 - 11:38 By nomahlubi sonjica
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Herolds Bay residents in the Western Cape say the Voëlklip road is safe for public use despite a spate of accidents and suicides that have taken place in the area.
Herolds Bay residents in the Western Cape say the Voëlklip road is safe for public use despite a spate of accidents and suicides that have taken place in the area.
Image: ER24

The notorious Voëlklip road near Herolds Bay, in the Western Cape, is safe for public use despite a spate of suicides and accidents that have occurred in the area.

This is according to the Herolds Bay Ratepayers' Association and the Western Cape department of transport and public works.

The most recent incident at Voëlklip, a popular picnic and fishing spot, involves two elderly women whose car plunged off the cliff at the weekend.

Circumstances surrounding the death of the women, both aged 75, were under investigation, said police spokesperson Sgt Christopher Spies.

“Emergency services were dispatched to the scene at about 6.45pm on Saturday after a member of the public alerted the police about a vehicle that went down a cliff. A search and rescue operation resulted in the retrieval of the bodies of two women, aged 75, at about 3.50am on Sunday,” Spies said.

An inquest docket has been opened while the police await post-mortem results.

“Investigation reveals that the deceased, from Krugersdorp, arrived in George on February 17. They were booked into a guest house at Herolds Bay at the time of the incident.”

Spies said the identities of the women would not be disclosed as yet.

The incident, according to Kenneth Field, the chairperson of the Herolds Bay Ratepayers Association, is one of many that have occurred at Voëlklip over the years.

“We’ve had a number of suicides at that point. There was one accident where people were under the influence of alcohol and drove off the cliff.”

Field said the association had made an application to the provincial transport department to make changes on the road.

That road is safe - provided you drive carefully, are not under the influence of alcohol and do not want to commit suicide.
Kenneth Field, Herolds Bay Ratepayers Association

“As far as I am concerned, that road is safe - provided you drive carefully, provided you are not under the influence of alcohol, and provided you do not want to commit suicide,” Field said.

He said there were signs put up to warn of the winding road. 

Western Cape transport department spokesperson Jandré Bakker said they had held meetings with the land owner to discuss options for improving safety on the road, alternatively closing it to the public.

“Those present at these engagements were against closing the road, stating that is an access road to an area of recreational and tourism value. However, the final decision to request the road to be closed remains that of the land owner, and should they decide to apply for such a closure, the department of transport and public works will follow the applicable processes involved in such a requested closure.

“The task team involved, which includes the land owner, residents, local and provincial authorities, has expressed a request for a temporary closure to which the [department] indicated what the formal request process would include,” he said.

Bakker said the department was aware of the incidents, but this did not mean the road was unsafe.

“We can confirm that the road has never been declared unsafe and the road is deemed safe for motorists if they drive cautiously and obey the road signs. It is not the road that is causing the incidents, but road user behaviour,” Bakker said.

He said additional warning signs had been placed along the affected road section.

“The aim of the recent visits was to determine what else could be done should the land owner decide not to apply for a road closure, or what could be done as interim measures until the road is closed should the owner decide to go ahead with such a request and if his request is granted. One such action had been completed, which was to block off the one informal parking area.”

Andre Bruton, the founder of the Save Voëlklip Facebook group, which he started last week, said his aim was to create a platform for concerned residents.

“We’ve got to start saving lives. I’ve got enough people who want to help us get equipment to improve the safety of the road.”

He said they would put up barriers on the road once they received enough funding.

“We’ve got citizens who are concerned about mental health so we will put up messages of support.”

TimesLIVE


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