I must say it is fun gathering "illegally". I used to go to the Pond in midrand where I saw both the good and the bad of this altnernative type of event. I hate the attitude of some councils though like the Cpt guys who withdrew the permit.
Are there any gatherings on the west-rand that we know about? The american road house is pretty dead, probably due to the carte blanche insert.
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By Tania Stapelberg
The Tshwane Metro Council needs to find a solution to the drag racing in Voortrekkers Road, which is turning the street into a potential death trap on Sunday nights.
While the Tshwane Metro Police have vowed to take back the street and step up operations, the ward councillor for the area, Elmarie Linde, said a more permanent solution was needed.
She said the Metro Police did not have enough manpower and as soon as they stopped their operations, the drag racers and the spectators would be back. "Every Monday I have calls complaining about the racing," said Linde.
'they are making it dangerous for other people'
She said there have been a number of crashes, some of them fatal, on Sunday nights. "Not only is it dangerous for the motorists, but the spectators are also at risk."
Some of the motor showrooms lining the street have also suffered losses over the years when drivers have lost control of their vehicles and smashed into the parked cars.
Linde said she had suggested to the council that the number of lanes be reduced on Sunday nights and that the synchronisation of the traffic lights be changed.
"The Metro Police must also start taking action against the spectators: there are regulations they can use," she said.
On Sunday night the Metro Police held an operation along the street after receiving complaints from residents.
Thousands of people had turned out to watch the free "show" and were not happy when the Metro Police put an end to their usual Sunday entertainment.
Acting Superintendent John Booysen, of the Metro Police's Region 6, said that at 8pm there were about 4 000 spectators.
When the Metro Police moved in at about 9:30pm some of the spectators told them to go home while others swore at them.
Metro Police spokesperson Alta Fourie said 12 fines were issued for the spinning of wheels, six for inconsiderate driving, six for illegal street racing, four for various vehicle defects, six for vehicles with expired licences and two for illegal lights. She said one person was arrested and a vehicle was impounded after it was found that the registration number on the number plates did not match the number on the licence disk.
Spectators say they have been coming to Voortrekkers Road for years and until there is a legal racing venue they will continue to support the Sunday night drag racing. They say it is exciting and can't see the harm.
But Linde said people could race at places like Mahem. "They must move away from Voortrekkers Road - they are making it dangerous for other people."
Many of the people the Pretoria News spoke to on Sunday evening said that the racers knew what they were doing and they did not fear for their safety.
The City of Cape Town has launched an investigation into a drag racing event that went horribly wrong.
Lord Rulser, 30, of Mitchells Plain, died on Saturday night after his car rolled in Modderdam Road, where drag racing fans had gathered for high-speed action.
His brother, Benjamin, said it was the first time that Lord had attended the races.
The event was marred by confusion from the start. The controversy centres on the fact that the race was to have been a legal event and was then declared illegal, but went ahead regardless.
Street race organiser Lorenzo la Breton said the event was to have been the first "legal" street race sanctioned by the City of Cape Town, but the permit was withdrawn at the last moment.
Disaster Management's Wilfred Solomons said drag races were not safe and the city could not allow them. He said the original permit was granted because of an oversight in the events department.
Of the illegal drag racing, Maxwell said: "It's a massive problem. We're trying everything to not only police it, but to prevent it from happening."
Spinning wheels - R500
Inconsiderate driving - R500
Illegal street racing - R1 500
Illegal lights - R300
Vehicle licence expired - R500
