Olifants Road’s new raised pedestrian crossing
EMMARENTIA – It's quite a big crossing, but you'll see it once you get there.
Motorists are advised to take note of the new raised pedestrian crossing along Olifants Road.
While we were all under lockdown, the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) gave Jozi Trials what they had been asking for ? a raised pedestrian crossing. According to the spokesperson of JRA, Sanele Zondi, the application for the crossing along Olifants Road in Emmarentia was received in November 2019 from the management of Jozi Trails.
According to Zondi, the funding for the raised pedestrian crossing was paid for by Jozi Trails. “The applicant applied in November last year and undertook to fund this project at their own cost. The process from application to completion took six months.” By 5 June the installation was complete and has allowed walkers to cross the road with a little bit more at ease.
The new raised crossing has been mistaken for a massive speed hump due to its size and surprises many motorists travelling on the road. Fairland Community Policing Forum took note of the raised pedestrian crossing stating, it ‘is causing consternation among road users.’ They also criticised why there were not any markings on the road on the first night of its installation as it damaged a few vehicles who were unaware of it. The legality of the crossing’s sheer size was also questioned.
Zondi explained why this particular road feature has been elevated more than others. “This was the conversion of an existing pedestrian crossing to a raised pedestrian crossing and it is therefore not the same specifications as that for a speed hump.”
