Traffic signal vandalism causes mounting costs for motorists and JRA
Estimated cost to repair destroyed intersections almost R40 million
As a streamliner of chaos and a reliever of danger, the traffic signal is a modern marvel.
With the reopening of the South Road bridge, the flow of traffic up towards the Albertina Sisulu Road and South Road intersection has increased dramatically. Travelling westwards from the Roodepoort CBD, the removed and flattened traffic signals of the intersection are barely visible, leading several vehicles to cruise through the intersection as if they did not exist.
One of many intersections in the area with removed or vandalised traffic signals, anyone commuting eastwards has to make a decision which of the dangerously dark intersections they wish to gamble with. One such motorist is Mindalore resident, Tanya Stassen, who can pass through as many as four broken intersections on her morning and evening routes.
Tanya was involved in an accident on Thursday morning, February 3, at the Albertina Sisulu and South Roads intersection. Travelling alone on her way to work, Tanya was attempting to turn right onto Albertina Sisulu Road when she was struck on the rear right side of her car. Fortunately she was not injured but the force of the impact spun her vehicle back into the direction from where she came.
The intersection of Albertina Sisulu Road and Corlett Avenue is another potential danger zone. Had the route not already been inaccessible at times around the Princess informal settlement, the traffic would be far worse. Out since October last year and with only one signal left to tell the tale, many motorists have suffered the same fate as Tanya at this intersection.
Newly elected MMC of Transport, Funzela Ngobeni, met with senior Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) officials to discuss the city-wide problem, February 2. The MMC revealed that 120 signals had been affected between December 2021 and January this year. At roughly R300 000 per signal, repairing the traffic signals at these intersections will cost the City R37 million, as many require a full rebuild.
“The JRA CEO undertook to push for a board resolution to resuscitate the agency’s Infrastructure Protection Unit and to adequately capacitate it, if so deemed. I call on law enforcement to step up efforts to monitor the City’s valuable infrastructure as well as to properly investigate and prosecute people arrested for the destruction of the City’s assets,” stated the MMC via a press release.
JRA is required to replace copper cabling, uninterruptible power supply units and SIM cards which carry GPS transmitters, with the mounting costs leaving less budget for other critical JRA functions. Sharing the sentiments of many frustrated taxpayers, Tanya pleaded, “Maintain what is left of South Africa. If you maintain what we have and fix what is broken it might help the country not to fall down further. Why give millions to other countries instead of keeping our own country in shape? Start doing the right thing. Maintain!”
