Councillor links rise in crime to faulty traffic lights in Ward 93
Councillor Vino Reddy reports a rise in crime, including armed robberies, at malfunctioning traffic intersections in his Ward, particularly after 18:00 when traffic officers are off duty.
A concerning number of traffic lights in Ward 93 are malfunctioning, with eight intersections currently not functioning properly.
Councillor Vino Reddy has brought attention to the issue, citing the intersection’s contribution to rising crime in the area.
Reddy sent a list of the malfunctioning traffic lights to the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport (GPDRT) and Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) in an email seen by Fourways Review, begging them to repair the lights for the safety of motorists and residents.
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The malfunctioning traffic lights are located at:
- Witkoppen and Maxwell roads, where the turning arrow is faulty,
- Witkoppen and Wall streets, which has been repaired but remains switched off,
- Witkoppen and Achter streets, which has been out of order for four months,
- Witkoppen and Main roads, where the turning arrows are not working,
- Witkoppen and Winnie Mandela drives, which has failed again despite recent repairs,
- Winnie Mandela and Leslie drives, which is also non-functional,
- Rivonia and Naivasha roads,
- Rivonia and Van Der Bijl avenues, as well as Van Der Bijl and Maxwell avenues, both of which have been out of order for up to a year.
Top of the list, according to Reddy, is the intersection of Winnie Mandela and Leslie drives.
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According to Reddy, the intersection’s traffic lights have a history of failure, having been repaired twice, in December and March, as part of the G20 drive and improvement project, yet continue to malfunction, possibly due to tampering or other issues.
“It’s currently out of order,” he said. “Any repair sees it working for a day, if not less. The non-functional traffic intersection has significantly contributed to a rise in criminal activity. There have been multiple reports of armed robberies of motorists who are stuck in the backed up traffic as a result of the intersection not working. It is said that most of these occur after 18:00, when the points men have finished duty. I am awaiting correspondence from SAPS and the CPF to verify all the incidents. However, one known incident is one too many.”
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Reddy is seeking urgent action to repair the traffic lights and implement measures to protect the electrical infrastructure from tampering.
Chris Bruyns, from JRA, has acknowledged Reddy’s email and is exploring the possibility of prioritizing auxiliary power installation at the Winnie Mandela and Leslie drives intersection.
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