Councillor’s persistent follow-ups bring ‘lights back on’ at risky Winnie Mandela Drive intersection
After weeks of unanswered follow-ups, Ward 94’s David Foley confirms the broken traffic lights at a busy Fourways intersection were finally repaired over the weekend.
It seems Ward 94 councillor David Foley’s fight for working traffic lights is back on the agenda, just months after he celebrated a previous victory of getting the robots on Winne Mandela Drive fully functional.
This time, he’s raised concerns about ongoing issues at the Mandela Drive and Pieter Wenning Road intersection, where faulty and damaged traffic signals have created serious safety hazards for motorists.
“We’ve had quite a few challenges here since June 18, when I logged another call for dysfunctional traffic lights coming out of Robert Bruce onto Winnie Mandela Drive,” said Foley during an on-site visit on July 31.
“A traffic light was knocked down, and the only way to see this traffic light from Robert Bruce is a daunting task for motorists. If you’re on the other side of the road, you cannot see the traffic light.”
Also read: Ward 94 gets kerbs while Ward 96 gets excuses from JRA
Foley said that the malfunctioning lights caused major congestion and posed risks for drivers and pedestrians alike. “You can see on either side of the road that there is quite a massive backlog of cars, and crossing the road with the traffic lights flashing is also very dangerous.”
He detailed the steps he has taken to escalate the matter, which began with a call logged on June 18 and continued through several channels. “I did do a follow-up email on July 13. On July 18, I logged [another] call via X, and I got the reference number 555078. And since there was no progress, I did a follow-up with the JRA, Gauteng Traffic Department, as well as the MEC of Transport.”
According to Foley, there was a reply on July 14, but subsequent follow-ups on July 22 and July 29 have gone unanswered. “I haven’t had a response. I’m hoping that we get to the bottom of this very quickly and the problem can be resolved.”
Also read: JRA is fixing Ward 94’s streets
Foley confirmed on August 4 that the lights had been fixed over the weekend. “Persistent escalations have paid off; traffic lights at Robert Bruce Road/Pieter Wenning Road and Winnie Mandela Drive have been fixed, and traffic is back to normal.”
The Johannesburg Roads Agency has been contacted for comment, and an update will be provided when it becomes available.
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