Adopt and Protect a Robot launches in the Northside
The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport has partnered with the Johannesburg Roads Agency to restore traffic signals, tackling vandalism and congestion on major roads
Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, the Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, has urged motorists and communities to protect road infrastructure as the restoration of traffic signals has commenced.
This comes after the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport (GDRT) partnered with the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) to undertake installation and maintenance of traffic control equipment along provincial roads within the City of Johannesburg.
Also read: Adopt-a-Robot project gains momentum
The partnership has started to bear fruit, with a number of intersections restored or undergoing repairs. Residents have complained about traffic lights and signals being vandalised and not working, causing traffic congestion and accidents on prominent roads such as Hendrik Potgieter and Christiaan De Wet.
In February, Ward 85 councillor Zoné Hughes issues a petition to residents calling on Gauteng municipalities and the GDRT to prioritise traffic light upkeep and infrastructure investment.The Adopt and Protect a Robot campaign was launched in November 2024, and the campaign is a public-private partnership between government, the private sector and local communities that seeks to keep traffic signals running smoothly with backup power from local businesses and protect them from vandalism, cable theft and crime.
Also read: Neglect of traffic lights a major concern in the Northside
On March 18, intersection repairs took place on the Christiaan De Wet and Hendrik Potgieter quarter link, Hendrik Potgieter Road and Makro/Clearwater Mall, and on Beyers Naude and Blueberry Road.
In terms of the partnership, the JRA is required to undertake the installation and maintenance of traffic lights as determined by the department, valid for a year with an option for extension.
Johannesburg MMC for Roads and Transport Clr Kenny Kunene indicated,
“We are elated as the Transport Department and JRA to have finally agreed upon this mandate, as it will capacitate us to service our communities more expeditiously. Of the 251 traffic signals under provincial jurisdiction, we have been tasked with the critical repair of 60 of the most vandalised signals, a commitment that extends through the end of the current financial year in June 2025.”
As a temporary measure, the department has, in some areas, turned signalised intersections into four-way stops in a bid to improve safety and flow of traffic.
