Cape Town - The City of Cape Town has confirmed that since residents of The Atlantic Seaboard Forum raised their voices and concerns about illegal drag racing and modified cars racing in their area, 12 cars have been impounded, four arrests made and more than 30 notices issued to drivers, following a spare if accidents.
Residents say a fatal accident due to reckless driving caused by illegal drag racing has been a ticking time bomb since 2021 in an area dominated by visitors, tourists and pets during the holidays and weekends.
A month ago, the forum which consists of Sea point, Three Anchor Bay and Green Point residents, called on traffic services, the City, law enforcement and the mayor to stop the illegal drag racing along Beach Road and Helen Suzman Boulevard.
They claimed in one incident, a woman who had been pushing a pram was nearly hit and sent photographs of three accidents since 2021 where single vehicles were involved.
Peter Flentov of the forum shared their frustrations also via Facebook and tagged municipality and law enforcement in the post and engaged with irate neighbours and received a huge response.
He wrote: “The modified car sub-culture is a persistent and vexing problem.
“It is time that the City put together a rapid response team to deal with the problem.”
Grant Richardson, who has been a resident for 20 years, has said the issue has been a problem for over years and has seen several accidents due to reckless driving and speeding.
“The worst periods of problems, both racing and noise, are typically over weekends - late afternoons and into late night,” he said.
“Traffic services had things largely under control for some time, but slowly things have reverted to what they were back in 2021.
“As to accidents, I am unsure as to how many there have been - one of which some years was very serious, resulting in the fire department having to cut a vehicle open in order to extract the occupants.
“More recently was another on Beach Road, also a single vehicle accident with the driver losing control and hitting parked cars.
“It is simply a matter of time before we see serious injury or death.”
Richardson added that they were concerned about elderly residents residing at a retirement home in Sea Point and the noise pollution which occurred. “I would urge Traffic Services and Metro Law Enforcement to impound these vehicles as they did with the taxi industry recently.
“The Atlantic Seaboard has had enough of this lawless conduct, and has called for strong action to be taken.”
Maxine Bezuidenhout, spokesperson for Traffic Services, said they had taken action after receiving complaints from residents.
“The City’s Traffic Service confirms officers regularly conduct enforcement patrols in the said area,” she said.
“Last month, on Friday, 21July 2023, the following transgressions were recorded to address illegal street racing in the area and vehicles were impounded in terms of the new by-law, 12 vehicles impounded under the Traffic by-law, 3 driving under the influence arrests, 2 reckless and negligent driving arrests, 6 vehicles suspended for not being roadworthy, 522 traffic offences, 29 section 56 notices issued and 3 section 341 notices issued.
A resident who participated in the racing responded via Facebook and said they spent their money on cars instead of drugs and were going for drives during load shedding.
Ward councillor Nicola Jowell was also contacted for comment and said it was an issue for law enforcement’s response.