A resident of Edward Rubenstein Drive in Sandown is angered by the noise pollution and danger caused by cars speeding down the road at peak hours, without consideration of the 60km/h speed limit.
Louis du Bruyn has been living in Edward Rubenstein Drive for seven years now and said the problem has only worsened over time as more cluster residences are being built in the street.
After consultation with ward councillor Vincent Earp in 2016, Du Bruyn said the process of applying for calming traffic measures is too onerous for a resident with a full-time job.
“The road runs parallel to Grayston Drive, and people often use it as an alternative route to avoid traffic, but they don’t stick to the speed limit. I can sit in my house and won’t be able to hear my family members talking to me because of the noise,” said Du Bruyn.
He added that the constant speeding ruins the tranquillity of the suburb and creates a potential danger for children and pedestrians walking in the street.
Du Bruyn said he is not the only one bothered by the speeding since one of his neighbours installed their own speed humps on the road in 2014, which the municipality subsequently removed.
Earp explained the procedure that Du Bruyn will have to go through to apply for traffic calming measures, but Du Bruyn is unimpressed with Earp’s manner of handling the situation.
“There’s a difference between explaining the process to someone on email and offering someone assistance to comply,” said Du Bruyn.
Earp responded by explaining that the only role of the ward councillor in this process is to provide the resident with a letter of recommendation once they have complied with all the necessary processes in the application.
Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) spokesperson Bertha Peters-Scheepers explained that the agency had put together an A-Z guide on traffic calming, which is available on their website.
“The application for speed humps, must be warranted as per the South African Road Traffic Signs Manual and the City of Johannesburg Traffic Calming Policy,” said Peters-Scheepers.
Documents listed below must be emailed to Esther Schmidt at eschmidt@jra.org.za for the application:
- A letter of support from the ward councillor
- A drawing depicting the location and position of the proposed traffic calming measures
- A letter of support from the City’s regional director’s office
- A letter of support from the Metro police.
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