Porter Drive needs urgent traffic calming
Porter Drive runs through a recognised biosphere, home to diverse and vulnerable wildlife. It is vital that we foster a culture of responsible driving. This is not just for safety, but also to honour the ecological sensitivity of our surroundings. I am sure you will all agree that as Betty’s Bay continues to develop so our roads get busier. This brings noise, which disturbs the peace and, more to the point, puts our fauna under threat. Recently a grey mongoose was run over on Porter Drive and just left unceremoniously to die on the side of the road. In addition, a group of francolins were mowed down.
To this end, speeding cannot be tolerated and so I appealed to Wayne Jackson, chairperson of the BBRA, who was supportive. He referred me to Marelize Smith. Wayne also suggested that I send an email to Denovan van Rhodie, from Overstrand Municipality, with a range of suggestions, such as more speed bumps, 4-way stops, optical speed reduction techniques, painted road markings, portable speed display units: “Drive Like Your Kids Live Here” signs, mobilising a community speed watch, etc.
Mr van Rhodie responded positively to my mail saying that he intended to secure funding to appoint a professional traffic engineer or specialist. Their role would be to assess the proposals and recommend viable, compliant solutions that align with all relevant legislation.
This is a promising start – but we cannot afford to wait passively. Every resident, every visitor, every driver must be part of the solution. We must speak up, slow down, and demand change – not just for our safety, but also for the survival of our wildlife.
Patrick Bolttler