Traffic officers clamped down on speeding in Hout Bay on Sunday.
More than 200 motorists were caught speeding on Hout Bay’s Victoria Drive over four hours on Sunday morning.
Traffic officers recorded 86 speeding offences on the stretch of Victoria Drive between Mount Rhodes Drive and Llandudno Road, with the highest speed in the 60km/h zone clocking in at 139km/h, and 144 cases between Victoria Road and Mount Rhodes Drive, where 105km/h was the highest speed.
“We will continue to make life unpleasant for those who use our roads recklessly,” said Roberto Quintas, the ward councillor and mayoral committee member for urban mobility.
Other offences included unlicensed vehicles, unlicensed drivers, failure to wear safety belts and more.
“The City will continue to conduct enforcement operations in Hout Bay and along the Atlantic seaboard corridor in an effort to curb the reckless, dangerous and anti-social driver behaviour that seems to be becoming more and more prevalent and emanating from outside of our ward,” Mr Quintas said.
“It cannot be that persons, driving with vehicles and motorbikes that are modified to maximise noise, speed and drive in a manner that endangers other motorists and pedestrians.”
Those driving without licenses or driving minibus taxis without permits “must be made to feel that Hout Bay is a no-go zone for them”, he said.
Berenice Larkham uses Victoria Drive daily and watched the operation after “extensively complaining” to council about traffic offences there.
“I am so grateful to have not seen a major accident on this road, but, surely, it’s, unfortunately, going to happen as people can really use this road recklessly, swerving, speeding cutting in and just showing no respect to other road users. It is becoming a major headache and concern for many who have to use this road every day,” she said.
“We need regular enforcement on this road because something bad can happen and will happen if this type of driving continues.”
Jack Combrink, from Hout Bay, travels to work on his scooter and said he had witnessed some “horrific” driving on Victoria Drive.
“I saw a car overtaking another into the oncoming lane, and he was trying to overtake two cars in front of him. He managed to do so, but, imagine, with a car in that oncoming traffic lane and what could have happened if things went wrong,” he said.
He suggested the City put a traffic-enforcement station on the road.
“This could deter anybody from wanting to drive recklessly,” he said.