By Mosa Mojonothoane
MASERU
Roads Directorate has announced the suspension of new access for business development along major roads and corridors in Maseru.
These developments emanated on Friday at the press conference held at Roads Directorate Headquarters.
The roads in question are A1: Maseru Main Circle to Selakhapane, A2: Maseru Main Circle to Masianokeng, A6: Moshoeshoe Road, A7: Kofi Annan Road, A10: Kingsway Road, B20: Thabong Circle to Lakeside, B21 Ha Motšoeneng to Ha Makhoathi, B31: Mookoli to Ha Tšosane, B311: Junctions to B31 through Naleli to Ha Foso and B60: Seputana via Temong to Maqalika.
The suspension was effective from January 1 2023 until the Local Government has completed the Land Use Plan, officially known as Maseru 2050 Master Plan which embeds the Land use Plan, or when the Roads Directorate has completed the review of the design guidelines. As communicated by Roads Director General Khasapane Kikine, the review process will start in April this year. He explained that the design guidelines were last implemented in 1998, hence no longer accommodate the current developments.
He informed the media that these developments are due to the fact that the current guidelines prohibit accesses within the space of 500m minimum and 600m maximum depending on the factors of the land available, the increased level of traffic disruptions by traffic trails into businesses and thereby disrupting traffic flows, high level of encroachment by businesses causing loading and off-loading in the road reserve and thereby disrupting traffic flows, increased accidents due to reduced sight distances caused by encroachments and increased volumes of water run-offs causing drainage blockages due to new accesses, which often cause rapid deterioration of the road pavement layers, leading to development of potholes.
Kikine insisted that the current climate conditions require re-planning henceforth. “Many occurrences of floods block roads during rainy days, this is resultant to poor road planning which we hope to review and rectify by 2025,” he highlighted.
The Direct General further noted thus; “Road Fund has reported that accidents have doubled since 2015. This is, according to police reports, a result of impatient drivers due to traffic congestion.”
During the suspension period, he said most filling stations within Maseru will have to relocate. He added that they violate the Land Use Plan, saying the current landscape worsens the traffic congestion. “Rightfully, filling stations must have only one entrance from the right and one exit at the left side.
Asked if such businesses have been notified, Kikine assured that they have, saying next will be engagement meetings to plot a way forward.
Meanwhile, the directorate has affirmed that the ‘mekoari’ project is ongoing within Maseru district, saying the directorate is successfully filling some potholes.
Roads implements efforts to curb traffic congestion
Mosa Mojonothoane
MASERU
Roads Directorate has announced the suspension of new access for business development along major roads and corridors in Maseru.
These developments emanated on Friday at the press conference held at Roads Directorate Headquarters.
The roads in question are A1: Maseru Main Circle to Selakhapane, A2: Maseru Main Circle to Masianokeng, A6: Moshoeshoe Road, A7: Kofi Annan Road, A10: Kingsway Road, B20: Thabong Circle to Lakeside, B21 Ha Motšoeneng to Ha Makhoathi, B31: Mookoli to Ha Tšosane, B311: Junctions to B31 through Naleli to Ha Foso and B60: Seputana via Temong to Maqalika.
The suspension was effective from January 1 2023 until the Local Government has completed the Land Use Plan, officially known as Maseru 2050 Master Plan which embeds the Land use Plan, or when the Roads Directorate has completed the review of the design guidelines. As communicated by Roads Director General Khasapane Kikine, the review process will start in April this year. He explained that the design guidelines were last implemented in 1998, hence no longer accommodate the current developments.
He informed the media that these developments are due to the fact that the current guidelines prohibit accesses within the space of 500m minimum and 600m maximum depending on the factors of the land available, the increased level of traffic disruptions by traffic trails into businesses and thereby disrupting traffic flows, high level of encroachment by businesses causing loading and off-loading in the road reserve and thereby disrupting traffic flows, increased accidents due to reduced sight distances caused by encroachments and increased volumes of water run-offs causing drainage blockages due to new accesses, which often cause rapid deterioration of the road pavement layers, leading to development of potholes.
Kikine insisted that the current climate conditions require re-planning henceforth. “Many occurrences of floods block roads during rainy days, this is resultant to poor road planning which we hope to review and rectify by 2025,” he highlighted.
The Direct General further noted thus; “Road Fund has reported that accidents have doubled since 2015. This is, according to police reports, a result of impatient drivers due to traffic congestion.”
During the suspension period, he said most filling stations within Maseru will have to relocate. He added that they violate the Land Use Plan, saying the current landscape worsens the traffic congestion. “Rightfully, filling stations must have only one entrance from the right and one exit at the left side.
Asked if such businesses have been notified, Kikine assured that they have, saying next will be engagement meetings to plot a way forward.
Meanwhile, the directorate has affirmed that the ‘mekoari’ project is ongoing within Maseru district, saying the directorate is successfully filling some potholes.