Revamped gate improves mobility at Joburg Market
JOHANNESBURG – The newly reconstructed Joburg Market’s exit gate started operating on 12 November after it was closed for five months for the facelift.
Joburg Market employees, tenants, truck drivers, traders and visitors have expressed delight at the efficiency that the newly constructed exit gate brings to the entity’s operations.
The exit gate which started operating on 12 November enables the ease of traffic and has security features like spikes and sensors, improving the safety of motorists and pedestrians alike.
The gate has dedicated lanes for trucks and forklifts There’s also public art, including concrete stools that make the exit a hang-out spot. An enthusiastic trader said the new gate meant more people coming in and out. Those who avoided the market because of traffic will be coming through and more people means more business.
The new exit is modern and client-friendly. Future plans include installing a remote-controlled sliding gate, two exit ways, landscaping, CCTV cameras that are monitored by armed guards and a weighbridge for trucks.
“It is fabulous that as a staff member, I do not need to worry about the admin of getting an access card for the gate because it has sensors and opens automatically when vehicles approach,” said one of the employees.
The Joburg Market exit was revamped at the cost of R2.9 million in a bid to repair ageing infrastructure and ease mobility at the facility. The demolished exit gate, on the south-western edge of the market, was built 45 years ago in 1974. Since then, the market’s exit way had fallen into disrepair and was in need of urgent attention.
Joe Mazibuko, the entity’s executive manager for Strategic Projects, Marketing and Communications, said the structure was no longer protected and tended to portray a terrible image of the organisation. One truck driver said the old gate was hazardous because it had a wall that crammed vehicles against each other and led to accidents. “The temporary exit was far and it took us longer to get to the freeway, however, we are pleased with the end result because trucks now have their own lane,” said the driver.
Market chief executive, Ayanda Kanana said although he was advised that traffic was a good problem because it meant that the market was working, action had to be taken against the congestion. The old gate had a tower standing out of nowhere and a wall which served as a trap where only one lane was working and it resulted in accidents and even a fatality.
