Residents of Cosmo City Extension 6 are sick and tired of speeding drivers and have created their own speed humps using stones, bricks, and cement.
A Cosmo City resident, Ntokozo Mncube said that a man was recently knocked down by a speeding car that did not stop. “This is one of the many accidents that have happened here,” said Mncube. He added that it is a very dangerous road yet children are always playing outside.
Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) said that it is illegal for residents to make their own speed humps. “While we understand the community’s need to safeguard their children and property from speeding and reckless drivers, unfortunately erecting non-compliant speed humps without following the due application and approval process, is illegal,” said JRA operations manager Bertha Peters-Scheepers. These speed humps are generally not according to specifications, they are also unmarked and bear no road traffic warning signage and, therefore, could be aggravating the safety risk for drivers and pedestrians. “We would rather work together with the community, JMPD and the City’s transport department to resolve the concerns through speed law enforcement,” said Peters-Scheepers.
The installation of traffic-calming humps can only be considered if certain warranted criteria, as laid down in the South African Road Traffic Signs Manual and the City of Joburg’s Traffic Calming Policy, are met. However, this does not guarantee the immediate installation of traffic calming speed humps by the JRA.
“Due to the high demand for speed humps, it is necessary to create and place all warranted investigations on a priority list in order of urgency,” said Peters-Scheepers. This, therefore, means that the installation of traffic calming in the form of speed humps is undertaken by the JRA on a strict priority basis, with commensurate funding. These speed humps cost on average between R15 000 and R25 000.
Requests for traffic calming measures can be made by registering a call with the City of Johannesburg call centre. Engineers will generally implement traffic calming measures, such as speed humps, raised pedestrian crossings and mini-circles, only if none of the following is applicable;
- Not in front of entrances
- Not in the shade of trees and other physical objects during the day
- Not where they can not illuminated by street lighting at night
- Not on gradients in excess of 6 per cent
- Not on gravel roads
- Not on designated public transport routes
- Not within a specified distance of other control mechanisms such as traffic signals.
