City rev up the pressure on reckless riders

Illegal spinning with modified vehicles, illegal gatherings, and anti-social behaviour at several locations around Hout Bay have started streaming in as the festive season draws closer.

Residents said on the weekend, a gathering was dispersed at around 2am close to the circle in Hout Bay, when a group of cars gathered to perform tricks and dangerous moves, with several onlookers illegally lining the street to catch a glimpse.

Hannah Merlot said the tyres screeching and loud music topped the list, saying that it felt as if she lived between a racetrack and a nightclub.

"People just appeared out of nowhere. One second you're inside, and the road is empty, and in no time, there were cars everywhere, and people started performing these dangerous circles right in the middle of the public road with cars just still on the road," the mother of three said.

Another concerned resident, Kelvin Craddock, said the gatherings were mostly young riders wanting to show off their rides, but there were several individuals wanting to put on a show to impress.

"That sometimes can come at a cost, wanting to impress people and then losing the plot, and when you're in this game, it could be life-ending. But then again, many of them only learn when something bad happens," he said.

Hotspot areas include the Harbour Road area, Princess Street, and along Suikerbossie, causing the most problems for the Hout Bay community.

Reckless drivers and motorcyclists exceed speed limits and create noise disturbances, with residents estimating drivers having reached speeds well over 100 km/h in 60 km/h zones.

The City of Cape Town confirmed that the Atlantic Seaboard, which includes Hout Bay as its most southern seaboard suburb, has recently been "plagued" by an ongoing increase in "antisocial and reckless behaviour by riders".

Ward councillor Roberto Quintas said drivers of high-speed performance bikes and vehicles were mostly found bending the rules of the road.

"Revving at traffic lights and stop streets, racing along roads in Hout Bay such as Harbour Road, Princess Street, and along Suikerbossie have all caused concern in our community. Speed kills. There’s nothing more to it than that," Mr Quintas said.

The loud popping noises of performance engines being revved also cause distress to the elderly, persons with audio sensory hypersensitivity, as well as pets, Mr Quintas said.

"It’s not just childish, infantile behaviour by people who are supposed to be adults, it’s dangerous and deeply inconsiderate. The complaints have meant that the City has used an inordinate amount of resources which could be deployed to routine patrolling or other enforcement operations in an attempt to have increased visibility of problem routes and areas," he said.

Additional speed cameras have now been added to the network in Hout Bay and the Sea Point and Green Point areas, with ghost cars routinely cruising the Victoria Road area to enforce speeding.

Recently, a couple on a bike injured themselves critically in an attempt to evade arrest for speeding, Mr Quintas said.

"The incident could have had a tragic ending for them and other people sharing the road. Every effort is made to deploy resources as they are available; however, this issue is going to be ongoing until there is a radical shift in thinking, and possibly the maturing of minds of people putting their lives and the lives of others in danger," he said.

To report high speeds in Cape Town, you can use the City's service request system online at www.capetown.gov.za/servicerequests, call the customer call centre at 0860 103 089, or email contact.us@capetown.gov.za.

You will need to provide the specific street address and area where the speeding is occurring.