WATCH | Runaway cement truck carnage in Cape Town

City of Cape Town officials are considering extra measures to reduce speed and bolster safety on Kloof Nek Road after an out of control cement truck last week ploughed into at least 15 vehicles and two homes on the steep incline.

A case of reckless and negligent driving was opened after the incident in which three people were injured and taken to a nearby hospital. No arrest had been made as investigations continue, said police spokesperson Capt FC van Wyk.

Ward councillor Francine Higham said it was the third accident on the road in just over a year where a heavy-duty vehicle had lost control. 

“I was at the scene of the accident on Thursday evening and saw for myself the destruction. The trauma, the cost and the damage to property can’t be ignored,” said Higham.  

“After the accident in September last year, I engaged extensively with the city’s urban mobility department to implement measures to reduce speed and improve safety on Kloof Nek Road.”  

Signage has been changed to indicate a reduced speed limit of 50km/h and on the Camps Bay Drive approach which also has warning lights.  

Additional signage near the top of the road — a major thoroughfare — was erected to remind truck drivers to gear down as brakes can fail on steep downhills.

“The speed camera on Kloof Nek Road was made fully operational after we discovered an electrical fault. The city also installed a new signalised pedestrian crossing at the top of Kloof Nek Road, at the intersection of Tafelberg Road and Signal Hill Drive,” said Higham.  

“The signalised crossing improves pedestrian safety while easing congestion for those coming off Tafelberg Road or Signal Hill Drive, giving them an opportunity to exit onto Kloof Nek Road during peak hours. It has a further added benefit of slowing traffic from Camps Bay.  

“We are working to identify additional opportunities to implement speed reduction and road safety measures, but we also have to recognise the cause of many vehicle accidents is due to driver behaviour and vehicle roadworthiness.”

She added that speed bumps were not a feasible solution, given the gradient of the road. It was also not possible to ban trucks from the stretch as it was a major thoroughfare for construction vehicles and the delivery of goods in the City Bowl, CBD and Atlantic seaboard. 

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