Growing illegal racing a major headache for Metro citizens

Cape Town – Illegal racing across the Metro is a growing concern, with citizens forced to endure noise and squeaky brakes each time drivers violates the road rules.

According to complaints, the activity mostly take place late between Friday evening and early hours of Sunday, with the minimum occasions happening during the night on weekdays in some areas.

It is alleged that culprits are often drivers of modified vehicles, including Nissan Sentras, Hondas, VW Golfs and BMWs, usually driven by males between the ages of 20 and in their 30s, while bikers are most older men in their 40s and above.

Hout Bay is among the suffering communities, with 3 969 offences recorded in the past year, and 48 arrests for drunk driving, two for reckless driving, two arrests for stolen vehicles and two arrests for outstanding warrants, as per the City of Cape Town report.

A Hout Bay resident who fears for his life after allegedly receiving threats following his posts exposing some of the cars he said participated in the racing, took to the social media to call for a joint action by the community early this week.

"It's unbearable, we can't take it anymore. Once they start, us, the residents, can barely go to each other inside our own homes, and it is just a matter of time until something tragic happens.

"We have raised our concerns with the City of Cape Town on numerous occasions, but with every suggestion we come up with, there's an excuse why it can't be implemented. So it only is the community to come up with ideas of how to stop this nuisance,” he said.

Anthony Chemlay, Hout Bay's Community Policing Forum chairperson, advised that residents start logging formal complaints and trying to get as much details as possible to help trace the offenders and to use as evidence when engaging with authorities on the matter.

The problem is also a pain along in the CBD towards the Sea Point area where Marc Truss, the chairperson of the Cape Town CPF, said both the upper part between the De Waal Drive and Philip Kgosana Drive, and the lower part at the Oranjezicht, Helen Suzman Boulevard and the Atlantic Seaboard being host to speeding cars and bikes.

"Lockdown was the only time we had peace of mind. Now, it's like they’re going crazy, revving high and taking over the roads as they please, not adhering to the road rules, as they know they can hardly be traced because they've no licence plates when breaking the law," said Truss.

In Macassar, councillor Peter Helfrich, said among other areas, Link Road and the R102, while in Mitchells Plain, Weltevreden, Morgenster and Eisleben roads are home to the speedsters, spinning and drifting.

Ward councillor Ashley Potts said there have been serious accidents, and the areas are deemed unsafe to drive late at night or on quiet weekends as the racers take opportunities of those times.

In the Table View, Strandfontein and Grassy Park areas, residents said joint initiatives between the communities, police and the law enforcement yielded positive results. It's said the beach front was usually targeted.

“There were so many incidents involving pedestrians and motorists that we even park our own cars on the roads some night to block them off. Also, the visibility of our SAPS and law enforcement played a huge role as we made them aware we wouldn't be held hostage in our own communities.

“The pleas for traffic calming and the meetings are just that; nothing comes out of it. It's us who are suffering these elements who must make action," said Melvyn Jonkers, the Grassy Park CPF chairperson.

Maxine Bezuidenhout, spokesperson, Cape Town Traffic Service, said the City was aware of, and receives complaints on a daily basis of bikers and motorists violating road rules in Hout Bay.

She said regards to illegal street racing in general, it was mostly males between the ages of 20 and 30 years. "Illegal street race happens on a weekly basis and it happens throughout the metropole, and there are over 25 known hot spots.

"The implications of being caught engaging in illegal street racing can be having your vehicle impounded under the City’s Traffic By-Law, or even arrested for reckless driving under the Criminal Procedure Act, which can lead to a criminal record if found guilty.

"The only legal racing venue currently is Killarney Racetrack in Tableview," Bezuidenhout added.

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