Johannesburg Roads Agency rejects Bryanston residents’ petition for St Audley Road speed hump

A petition with more than 120 signatures calling for traffic calming on St Audley Road in Bryanston has run into a policy roadblock, as Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) says speed humps are not permitted on the route.

This comes after residents raised complaints with the agency about alleged car racing and speeding. A guardrail was installed by JRA at a dangerous bend in May, but residents said it did little to address the root cause.

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JRA acting head of mobility and freight Sipho Nhlapo previously stated that if speed humps were deemed technically viable, a formal petition registered by residents would be required to demonstrate community support, in line with the City of Johannesburg’s traffic calming policy.

According to resident Richard Meyer, whose property had previously been damaged several times by vehicles crashing off the road, the petition suggested by JRA was submitted to the agency in May, but no feedback has been received.

There was another major crash on our road outside our house on August 9. If it wasn’t for the crash barrier, they would have hit my wall again.

“A CCTV video shows these cars racing and going at such an extreme speed. It’s so dangerous. I conducted a petition for traffic calming measures, had over 120 houses sign it, and submitted it to the JRA in May. To date, we have not had any calming measures installed.

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Apparently, an assessment has been conducted by JRA, but I am not sure, as I have not seen a formal report.”

JRA responds to policy restrictions

Responding to a Sandton Chronicle inquiry on August 27, Nhlapo said a traffic investigation was carried out to measure and observe motorists, cyclists, and pedestrian activity and safety, as well as the layout of the road.

“The existing road signs and markings were also investigated. The installation of traffic calming on class 3 roads is not permitted, as per the City of Johannesburg traffic calming policy.

Implementing any form of traffic calming measures on a major arterial will be against council policy and will result in further requests for similar measures along arterial roads.”

Nhlapo added that according to the national guidelines for the design and implementation of speed humps, speed humps should under no circumstances be considered for use on class 1, 2, or 3 roads.

“The undesirable effect on mobility makes them only applicable on lower-order roads, where mobility is not the primary function of the road.”

Proposed alternative measures

JRA recommended the installation of a raised pedestrian crossing on St Audley Road, directly opposite the bus stop, to facilitate safe pedestrian crossing for learners from the nearby school, given that on-street parking and a bus stop have been provided adjacent to the sports field.

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Nhlapo added that St Audley Road forms part of a grid network of streets, noting that any traffic intervention on one street will impact the diversion of traffic to parallel routes, meaning interventions must be duplicated on parallel roads.

Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson Xolani Fihla previously stated that the department would increase patrols in the area to discourage reckless driving and racing.

“The JMPD carries out regular patrols and specialised operations across the City of Johannesburg to combat illegal street racing. Our high-speed unit and regional teams are deployed to known hotspots to enforce the National Road Traffic Act.

Following this report, we will initiate an immediate investigation into these activities at St Audley.”

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