A closed off road

RELATED LINKS: Do boomed suburbs keep out crime? SECURITY barricades across public streets have become an international phenomenon. Read more Seven names for road closures panel SEVEN experts have been appointed to a panel that will advise the City on a policy for road closures and "boomed suburbs". Read more Hearings on boom gates on the cards THE City has embarked on a process of formulating a uniform policy regarding access restrictions to roads and public spaces. Read more Security access restrictions RESTRICTION of access refers to any means that discourages access to any other person. Read more Panel to write policy on boomed suburbs THE idea of "boomed suburbs" or "gated communities" generates passionate exchanges between proponents who believe that restricting access reduces crime, and opponents who say it causes traffic congestion and shifts crime elsewhere. Read more

A controlled access point

Approved booms to be named BOOM gates that have been given the nod will be advertised in the Government Gazette this month. August 15, 2005 By Rose Setshoge THOSE applications for boom gates in Johannesburg that have been approved will be advertised in the Government Gazette by the end of the month. The approval is valid for two years from the date on which the notice is advertised in the gazette and the media. The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) received 321 applications for boom gates, of which 298 were recommended for approval and submitted to the City of Johannesburg for consideration, according to the agency's road safety engineer, Hendrik van Tonder. Of these, the City approved 87 applications; 66 were turned down because they did not comply with the Security Access Restriction Policy. The policy allows restriction of access only in certain, specific circumstances. The policy was put in place after the formation of Johannesburg as a unicity, made up of the former local government authorities. With different policies regarding road closures and various legal problems arising from such variants, the City set up a single policy in 2002. Eight applications were referred back to the JRA for a traffic impact study and for public comment to ensure that the boom gates will not affect the road network negatively. The South African Police Service is still investigating the crime rates in the areas where 129 of the applications were made. A further eight applications are waiting for a final decision from the City, with an assessment of the crime rates in the neighbourhoods already undertaken by the police. Still being processed are 19 applications that were received after the deadline of 18 July 2003. Application forms can be acquired from the Johannesburg Roads Agency website, under the section policy and application procedures. Permission to use web site material Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as: Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website (www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency (www.joburg.org.za)"; If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original article on this website; The name of the article's author is acknowledged; The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill in this brief online form). Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 Print this Page E-mail this article to a friend Help using Joburg.org.za