Illegal street racing is one of the societal ills that began plaguing Parkwood and the surrounding areas last year, which led to Rosebank’s Community Policing Forum (CPF) forming a committee to address the ongoing and dangerous street activity.

The publication first reported on the illegal street racing issue last year, after a resident complained that supercars usually raced from Pantry and Relish restaurants along Jan Smuts Avenue into the residential areas during the early hours of the morning on weekends.

This led to Rosebank SAPS and the Johannesburg Metro police Department (JMPD) being more visible in the early hours of the weekends, in attempts to deter not only the rowdy behaviour but also the illegal street racing.

Read more: Viral video captures drag racing row at Relish

These interventions still did not discourage risky behaviours on the road because there was a massive crash in July, which involved five cars and left two people dead on Jan Smuts.
This led to JMPD intensifying its road policing and strategies of dealing with illegal street racing.

A reporter met with the Ward 117 councillor Tim Truluck on Jan Smuts on February 10, to find out if the illegal street racing was still an issue.

Truluck admitted that it was not an easy problem to solve, “Especially since it needs cooperation from the three spheres of government: municipal, provincial and national.”

The chairperson of Rosebank’s CPF, Bruce Young, added that the street racing issue was a standing item on the CPF agenda.

@caxtonjoburgnorth Ward 117 councillor, Tim Truluck speaks about illegal street racing in Parkwood. Video: Asanda Matlhare #Rosebank #Streetracing ♬ original sound – Caxton Joburg North

“This has been discussed at some length, much of the focus has been on the Pantry, Jan Smuts and Relish. The police do make regular visits to Relish and the Pantry. We also asked JMPD to deal with the large traffic cones placed on Jan Smuts, reducing it to one lane and causing a traffic jam in the block between Bolton and Wells at night. This appears to be better now.”

Also read: Rosebank Police Station and the JMPD take Parkwood street racing allegations seriously

JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla explained that the Metro police adopted a proactive, intelligence-led approach to dismantle these gatherings.

“Rather than just reacting to races already in progress, [JMPD] utilised unmarked vehicles and plainclothes officers to blend in with the crowds at night.”

Meanwhile, the acting head of mobility and freight from the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), Sipho Nhlapo, highlighted that the roads agency implements a safety-focused approach to determine where speed humps can be installed, in strict accordance with National Department of Transport Guidelines and the COD Report CR-97/038.

“Eligibility is not determined by request alone; speedhumps can be considered on residential streets, whilst raised intersections and raised platforms are suitable for local collector roads. Traffic calming should not be implemented on freeways, highways, major arterial or major collector roads.”

Nhlapo concluded that a technical investigation would follow, assessing speed data, traffic volumes, crash history, and geometric constraints.

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