Understanding city policy on road closures in Joburg
FOURWAYS – Navigating the legalities of installing a road closure in your community can be difficult. Stephen Margo, a Fourways resident, gives readers tips and advice on how to go about it.
Photo: Robyn Kirk
With crime in Johannesburg a concern, residents and residents associations have often turned to the installation of a boom or road closure to keep their community safe.
While booms are legally allowed by the City, residents must follow the rules and laws surrounding these installations or else face the consequences.
In November last year, the City of Joburg and the Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) upgraded the policy around Security Access Restrictions, also known as road closures or booms. Stephen Margo, one of the few people who specialise in applications for road closures and renewals and a Fourways resident, gave readers of the Fourways Review some interesting facts on the new policy. He has worked with road closures for years and has handled over 60 closures during this time.
“There are in excess of 400 road closures in Johannesburg alone,” he said. “Many of which have not renewed their closures after the two-year expiry date or are simply illegal, having been erected without permission.
“With effect from January 2018 the council, the JRA and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) will be working together to rectify this situation. Any expired or illegal closure will be given a 30-day lee-way to prove to the council that they have commenced with a new application or face the JMPD removing the structures and fining the closure.”
Nobantu Ciko Duze, the deputy director of transport systems management for the Department of Transport confirmed the lee-way period and explained that people who have erected illegal structures have two choices.
“They can either choose to reapply to renew their closure within a month of a notice being served or if they choose not to reapply then they must remove the structures on council roads.”
The new 2018 policy is based on and in some ways similar to the old 2014 policy, but there are some changes that residents need to be aware of.
Margo explains some aspects residents should be aware of:
- All closures must be manned by a Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority registered security company as well as registered security officers
- No closures will be approved or allowed within an existing
- closure
- Traffic impact studies will be necessary for all closures with 40 or more homes
- Traffic safety audits may be necessary for smaller closures as well as those situated in cul de sacs
- Similarly, wayleave applications will be essential for every closure
- All closures must register either as a residents association, a private company (Pty Ltd), a public benefit organisation or a section 21 non-profit company.
- In certain cases, automation of the booms will be allowed
- provided that there is still a registered security officer manning the booms in case of failure. The security officers manning the booms are the only ones to have remotes
- No remotes, access cards or tags etc. to be handed out to residents
- No spikes are allowed to be installed on any council roads
- Speed humps can be applied for in a separate application
- Guard huts to have an electrical compliance certificate
- No centre islands or ‘middle- mannetjies’ will be allowed on single lane carriageways which narrow down the road preventing the fire brigade passing through in cases of emergency
- Residents associations need to ensure that they adhere to the terms and conditions that are stipulated for each closure as those terms and conditions are ratified by emergency medical services in order to be sure that emergency services can still able to travel down roads if necessary
- All main entrances to a closure must with immediate effect have the period of validity clearly visible
- An extension of time may be applied for prior to expiry date of the closure
- All council fees have been increased.
“There is a lot more involved in applying for a new closure or renewal of a closure,” Margo added. “It can take anywhere up to six or more months to complete road closure.”
Residents are welcome to contact Ciko Duze or Chiza Mahlobo from the JRA with questions with regards to the process of complying with policy on NobuntuC@joburg.org.za or MahloboC@joburg.co.za
For advice and assistance regarding your road closure,
contact Stephen Margo at stephen@margo-security.co.za; 076 030 2342; 011 465 8638.
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