Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department responds to Parkmore traffic chaos
Officers step up enforcement and mobile tactical patrols along high-risk Sandton corridors to tackle motorists who bypass congestion by driving into oncoming traffic.
The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) has outlined traffic enforcement measures in Parkmore following concerns raised by the Parkmore Community Association (PCA) about taxi drivers who allegedly drive into oncoming traffic to bypass congestion along 11th Street.
In response to questions from the Sandton Chronicle, JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla said Region E operational command conducts routine visibility patrols, traffic monitoring and targeted enforcement operations across Parkmore, Sandton and Benmore.
Read more: Johannesburg Roads agency states Wynberg traffic lights are low priority
Fihla said officers are deployed at key intersections, including Victoria Avenue, 11th Street and connecting feeder routes, during morning and afternoon peak periods to manage traffic flow and deter reckless driving.
“High-visibility static deployments and mobile patrols are continuously rotated across the region based on operational capacity and daily traffic dynamics,” he added.
The response follows concerns raised by PCA manager Lori Klein during a site visit with the Sandton Chronicle at the intersection of 11th Street and Victoria Avenue on September 30.
Klein said taxis regularly travel on the wrong side of the road to bypass traffic queues, creating dangerous conditions for motorists and pedestrians. “This has been ongoing for many years,” she said, adding that the situation tends to improve when JMPD officers are present, but returns to normal once they leave.
Fihla said motorists who drive against the flow of traffic or use opposing lanes to bypass queues may face action under the National Road Traffic Act, 1996 (Act 93 of 1996), and applicable traffic regulations.
Also read: Campus management, JMPD, and ward councillor provide feedback on Emeris parking disaster
He identified reckless and negligent driving, as well as disregarding regulated road traffic signs, including solid white lines and no-overtaking restrictions, as offences that may apply depending on the circumstances.
According to Fihla, JMPD officers issue section 56 summonses and fines, impound vehicles and arrest drivers whose conduct constitutes dangerous or reckless driving. “Depending on the severity and danger posed, drivers face direct prosecution, arrest for reckless/negligent driving, or hefty infringement notices under the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) framework,” he said.
Fihla acknowledged that Region E covers an extensive area, including Sandton CBD, Bryanston, Alexandra and surrounding suburbs.
This requires balancing static point duty at major gridlocked intersections, responding to priority traffic signal outages and attending to road traffic collisions across the region.
To address compliance decay when static officers move between locations, Fihla said JMPD is integrating mobile tactical patrols and increased co-ordination with local Community Policing Forums and private security sector stakeholders to maintain sustained oversight along high-risk corridors.
Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates!
