Additional lane suspended on Marginal after 2 crashes and 13 pedestrians hit in 30 days

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Additional lane suspended on Marginal after 2 crashes and 13 pedestrians hit in 30 days

2:34 CAT | 12 Jul 2024

Image: O País

At least 13 people were run over and two vehicles collided within 30 days of the implementation of the third and fourth lane schemes on Maputo’s “Marginal” coastal avenue. Excessive speed and poor pedestrian crossing are thought to be to blame.

In June, Maputo Municipal Council introduced two more lanes on Avenida Marginal, between the Clube Maritimo and the Costa do Sol neighbourhood, as a way of reducing long traffic queues during rush hours.

What should have been a relief for road users has instead proved a curse for pedestrians, with 13 people run over in 30 days.

“In the third lane we recorded a total of 10 pedestrians hit by vehicles and two collisions, while in the fourth lane, in 30 days, we recorded three pedestrian accidents,” reported Nelson Massango, Director of Transport at Maputo City Council.

Although the city council deployed municipal police officers, traffic officers, ambulances and sound equipment to the location as a way of raising awareness, some pedestrians continue to cross in inappropriate places, and some motorists fail to respect speed limits.

“Many pedestrians, when crossing public roads, do not use the zebra crossings, and we have also found that many motorists, when faced with the free and more desirable lane, speed up, which ends up causing these collisions,” Massango explained.

As a corrective, the Municipal Council suspended the implementation of one of the lanes along the Marginal avenue, from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays, pending improvements to signage and thus road safety.

“All these challenges forced us to temporarily interrupt the implementation of the third lane, this in the afternoon, from 3 pm to 6 pm, so that the teams could improve issues related to improving road safety, raising awareness among pedestrians and road users,” Massango detailed.

The city council has once again appealed to drivers to adopt more cautious driving standards, in order to avoid bloodshed.

Source: O País