Johannesburg suburbs that have illegally erected boomgates have three months to either legalise or remove the restrictions.
Chairman of the mayoral planning committee, Parks Tau, told reporters on Friday residents should apply to the Johannesburg Road Agency to have the boomgates legalised.
”If they do not do this within three months we will remove the gates. However if there is some delay on our side (in processing the application) we will not remove the gates,” he said.
Johannesburg mayor Amos Masondo said the final policy regarding security access restrictions would be finalised within two weeks. A group, including resident associations, government departments and political parties, has been meeting for the past 12 months to formulate the access restriction policy.
”The panel has concluded that the long-term impact of security restrictions is not desirable and therefore should not be encouraged or promoted in the City of Johannesburg,” Masondo said.
He said the Section 80 portfolio committee would meet on Monday to discuss the proposed policy. The final proposal would be presented at a council meeting on Thursday.
There are currently an estimated 180 illegal boomgates, mostly in the affluent northern suburbs.
The Johannesburg Metropolitan Council is engaged in a legal battle with residents of Sandhurst who have cordoned off the entire area causing traffic congestion. Tau said the court action would continue despite the three month grace period because Sandhurst’s boomgates were not in line with proposed policy.
”It causes traffic congestion.”
The council has also taken residents of the Kengsington area, where Masondo resides, to court for erecting boomgates.
There are currently 300 applications for boomgates in various suburbs. – Sapa