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Vandalism of traffic lights a danger to road users

Between January and November, a total number of 188 vandalised traffic light sites have been recorded in Tshwane.

December 2, 2024
Itumeleng Mokoena 4 minutes read
Metro urges residents to protect and safeguard traffic lights. Photo: Reitumetse Mahope.

About 188 vandalised traffic lights have posed risks for motorists and pedestrians this year, according to Tshwane metro.

The metro warned that as the criminality continues unabated, it loses thousands of rand from these acts.

Spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said between January and November, a total number of 188 vandalised sites have been recorded in Tshwane.

“The majority of vandalism incidents take place on intersections located next to informal settlements and/or secluded areas which are far away from more established residential areas,” said Mashigo.

Traffic safety is a grave concern, especially at busy intersections where the flow of vehicles and pedestrians often intersects and dead traffic lights disrupt the flow.

Metro urges residents to protect and safeguard traffic lights. Photo: Reitumetse Mahope.

Mashigo said the damage caused to the 188 traffic lights is categorised into three typical levels namely:

– Full intersection,
– Electrical wiring pulled out of sleeves, and
– Poles cut down with a disc grinder to access a 3m piece of cable in the pole.

He said the estimated cost to repair a full intersection ranges between R700 000 to R850 000.

“This means the signal cable, traffic controller, signal heads and signal poles have been vandalised as well.”

He said that repairs to electrical wiring pulled out of sleeves are estimated to range between R220 000 to R250 000. This means the signal cable and the traffic controller have been vandalised.

“Poles cut down with a disc grinder to access a 3m piece of cable going up into the pole cost about R30 000 to R50 000.”

Mashigo said the city has escalated the matter to the TMPD and ward councillors to assist with daily patrols or drive-bys, especially after hours.

“Consideration is also being given to automated early-detection systems that will send an alert to the TMPD Control Centre if equipment is being tampered with to minimise the damages caused to traffic signal infrastructure,” Mashigo said.

The provincial government launched the Adopt and Protect A Robot campaign on Wednesday, November 27.

The campaign is a public-private initiative to create a strong partnership between the government, private sector, and local communities to tackle traffic congestion, road infrastructure vandalism and lawlessness.

The partnership seeks to keep traffic signals running smoothly with backup power from local businesses and protect them from vandalism, cable theft and crime.

MEC for Roads and Transport Kedibone Diale-Tlabela said the prevalence of vandalism, theft, and power outages have resulted in the malfunction of several traffic signals, giving rise to severe traffic congestion and accidents on our roads.

“We are on the cusp of announcing a partnership with various businesses and residential forums/associations aimed at tackling the issue of theft and vandalism. As of now, a total of 16 MOUs have been signed.”

Diale-Tlabela said the department in collaboration with the CSIR, will research alternative technologies to prevent theft and vandalism of traffic signals.

“We are also exploring the utilisation of drone monitoring for traffic signals. More than 100 foot patrollers will complement the Adopt A Robot initiative by safeguarding signals from theft and vandalism and restoring the technical integrity of vandalised traffic signals infrastructure,” she said.

She added that the department will upscale the use of technological and non-technological means in monitoring and responding to losses of traffic signals.

Diale-Tlabela said the department is going to engage the services of authorised law enforcement agencies to protect road infrastructure.

She added that building partnerships with communities to protect road infrastructure is also a priority.

“We have engaged the three main universities in Gauteng, namely WITS, UJ and UP to assist with research initiatives, establishing and implementing private sector models of partnerships in providing protection. Uninterrupted traffic signals service is another objective.”

She solemnly appealed to everyone to safeguard the roads and immediately report any vandalism or theft of traffic signals to local authorities.

“It is essential that we work together to maintain safe and efficient roads. Become a road safety champion and participate in local community efforts to monitor and protect traffic signals.”

She said your vigilance is crucial in making a positive impact.

“If you witness theft or vandalism of traffic signals, report it on 10111. Let’s work collaboratively to ensure our road infrastructure serves everyone. As we all share ownership of this infrastructure, your vigilance can prevent traffic signal theft and vandalism. Report any incidents to maintain smooth traffic flow.”

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At Caxton, every story is written by humans. We use AI only to perform quality checks - never to generate the news. Happy reading!
December 2, 2024
Itumeleng Mokoena 4 minutes read

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