Centurion’s broken traffic lights continue to disrupt motorists

Non-functioning traffic lights at 18 intersections in Centurion have been a persistent issue for commuters and motorists in the area as they continue to cause disruption to traffic flow and raise concerns about road safety.

The Tshwane metro has confirmed that these intersections are part of a broader issue, with 52 signalised intersections across the city currently out of order due to vandalism.

In Region 4 alone, vandalism at the affected intersections has left traffic lights completely non-functional, including some on the R55, which is a provincial road.

Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo explained that the extent of the vandalism is severe, with most intersections requiring complete replacement at a cost of between R750 000 and R850 000 per site.

He said that these costs cover traffic signal infrastructure such as controllers, poles, cables, and labour but exclude the costs of restoring electricity supply to the intersection.

“Unfortunately, the city does not have the funds to undertake these repairs in the 2024/25 financial year.

This leaves the city with no alternative but to downgrade such vandalised intersections to 3- or 4-way stop control,” he said.

Mashigo further elaborated that vandalism often follows a predictable pattern, starting with the theft of electrical cables or switchgear, which cuts power to the intersection.

Once the power supply is disrupted, the traffic signal infrastructure becomes the next target.

He stated that load-shedding exacerbates the problem, as thieves take advantage of the lack of electricity to avoid the risk of electrocution.

“Experience has shown that most of these vandalised intersections, once reinstated, are once again vandalised within a period of 14 days, resulting in fruitless expenditure.

Poorly lit and secluded intersections are particularly vulnerable to such attacks.”

The metro’s limited resources further complicate the situation.

With only a small team of traffic signal technicians available, the metro can only perform reactive maintenance, leaving no capacity for planned repairs.

“The limited traffic signal technicians employed by the city render the municipality inadequate (sic) to attend to the increasing number of traffic signal faults reported on a daily basis.”

Mashigo noted that the non-availability of funds to reinstate vandalised intersections is a significant constraint.

“Motorists who use our roads do not necessarily know who a specific road belongs to, as there are quite a few roads that belong to the province, and the traffic signals on such roads are therefore the province’s responsibility to maintain.”

Mashigo added that the city prioritises repairs on main arterial roads with high traffic volumes, but the extent and cost of repairs often lead to unpredictable timelines.

He also emphasised that the only long-term solution would involve securing intersections through physical security patrols or artificial intelligence-based tamper-detection systems integrated into the infrastructure.

Residents in Centurion are frustrated and have felt the brunt of these challenges.

Juddy Louw, who lives in The Reeds, expressed her frustration with a traffic light at the corner of Uitsig and Rooihuiskraal roads.

“When we leave our complex, we have noticed that there is a traffic light at the corner that is often not working.

They can fix it now, and it’ll be off by the afternoon. Then they fix it again; it works for a day or two, and then it’s off again.”

Louw said that this is a big frustration, especially for people coming from work, as this causes a delay in traffic.

The ward councillors for the affected areas have also voiced their concerns.

Ward 79 Councillor Johan van Buuren described the situation as dire, with some traffic lights in his ward not working for over a year.

“The metro has not communicated with us on how, when or where they’re planning to do the repairs. It seems to be done on an ad hoc basis, depending on the availability of resources and the nature of the problem.”

He noted that if it’s an underground cable issue, it’s not something that can be fixed in the short term.

He added that while not all roads in his ward are affected, the impact is, however, felt across the ward.

Ward 57 Councillor David Farquharson reflected on the chaos caused by non-functional traffic lights when schools reopened earlier this year.

“Some of the traffic lights have been off for ages. The delays were especially bad when schools reopened because there was traffic everywhere,” he said.

Farquharson noted that cable theft has played a huge role in further complicating the situation.

“The cables supplying electricity to the traffic lights are a high target for thieves. It’s not a good situation at all,” he added.

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