A BOOMGATE in Glenwood, which has been at the entrance of St John’s Avenue for the past five years, was removed last week following complaints by residents in the area.
According to ward 33 councillor Mmabatho Tembe, the matter was escalated to Metro Police who had the boom and the guard hut removed.
The boom was installed years ago as a measure to curb crime in the road and to prevent prostitutes from taking clients into the road which is a cul-de-sac.
Residents said the boomgate had not caused obstruction to any properties, vehicles or pedestrians.
Tembe said while she understood the need for boomgates for security aspects, she believed things should be done legally.
“The Road Traffic Act stipulates that no person may place an obstruction within a road reserve, and boom gates restrict access and are not regulated in residential areas,” she said.
“Boomgates restrict access for emergency vehicles and pedestrians. The issue for me is the fact that in this road, which is a u-shape, the boom gate was at the one end and the other, the exit to the road, had a sensor control gate. The gate is the problem as it restricts movement of pedestrians as only vehicles with remotes could exit,” she said.
The issue of boomgates in residential roads is a contentious one.
Former ward councillors in the Musgrave and Morningside areas have toyed with the subject of whether they should be considered for safety reasons for a number of years.
ALSO READ: Councillor encourages residents to sign boom petition
In November 2016, former ward 27 councillor, Martin Meyer, urged residents of ward 27 to share their feelings on access control to help curb car theft.
At the time, station commander at Berea SAPS, Col Nkosinathi Radebe, suggested that one step that could be taken to assist was by installing access control in the form of boomgates, in quieter roads and cul-de-sacs.
He mentioned that although he received good feedback from residents, it was not allowed under eThekwini bylaws and seemed to be a politically sensitive matter.
Former ward 31 councillor, Chris Pappas, encouraged residents to sign an online boomgate petition last December, after the eThekwini Council dismissed a motion requesting the City’s Community and Emergency Services Committee to look into drafting an official policy on privately funded security measures in public areas.
He said despite guard huts and boomgates already visible in some areas of the city, the eThekwini Council has dismissed a motion which was raised by the Democratic Alliance.
“During the debate on the motion, the DA argued that violent crimes had escalated across the country and many communities within eThekwini were constantly looking for ways to strengthen safety and security in their neighbourhoods,” he said.
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