The illegal crossing from Makhado Park across the N1 to the industrial area in Louis Trichardt may very soon become the most notorious of the town’s killer crossings.

First it was the Stubbs Street/N1-crossing with runaway trucks down the mountain, where people had to die first, before the problem was seemingly solved with the traffic circle and sand pit. Then there was the Thohoyandou road crossing with its robots, where people had to die before the town council realised their mistake. There is also the Elim crossing, where the problem has seemingly been addressed by bringing down the speed limit.

The Makhado Park crossing, however, has the potential to overshadow all these and to have its name written in blood.

This crossing came into being when a temporary entrance, used by the developer to service the stands, later just became an illegal crossing. About a year ago, the National Road Agency tried to close down this extremely dangerous illegal crossing, but failed due to violent protest action.

At seven o’clock each morning, with up to six traffic officers watching, school busses stop on “No Stopping” zones at this crossing, to offload children on the western side of the N1. These children must then cross the busy N1 to the eastern side to go to school. Taxis entering from the eastern side have seemingly no regard for these children and other road users, while the traffic officers are just “observing.”

Some days they do not even pitch up any more for this chore. It is a 60km/h zone, but nobody is keeping to the speed limit. The situation has deteriorated to such an extent that a fitting name would be the “Russian Roulette crossing” because children and other road users are gambling with their lives there. It is a disaster in the making.

Some of my customers are living in Makhado Park and I may lose business because of the stand I am taking, but if it can serve to open the eyes of somebody who can do something about this situation, then this loss will not be in vain. After all, human life is the most precious gift from the Lord and worth much more than the business I may lose.

So let it not be that this crossing is also going to have its name written in blood.

Nowadays we are a great danger on the road if we do not wear our safety belts or have our driving licence with us on demand. But the buses that stop at this crossing and taxis disregarding traffic laws, unroadworthy vehicles with one head light or no lights at all driving in the night are not such a danger?

While I am at it, those traffic officers sitting day in and day out under the trees along the same stretch of road, please clean up behind you if you leave. It costs nothing but a few calories to pick up your waste and throw it into a dust bin. After all, littering is also an offence.

Why must we obey rules if the people upholding the law do not abide by it?

- Freddie de Swardt (Louis Trichardt)