JRA partners with JMPD to confront vandalised traffic lights and frequent power outages
JRA has partnered with over 40 companies to connect traffic signals to backup power supplies. This helps with the power problem, but the vandalism and theft is still a raging issue.
Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), on January 22, stressed that they continue to address road safety concerns and respond to emergencies affecting traffic signals across the City of Johannesburg, despite significant challenges posed by rampant vandalism and widespread power outages, particularly in the city centre.
Under its mandate, JRA is tasked with installing, maintaining, and repairing traffic signals throughout Johannesburg. Dysfunctional traffic intersections not only disrupt service delivery but also pose a critical threat to road users’ safety.
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The publication reached out to Ward 90 councillor Martin Williams, who stated that the traffic lights on Jan Smuts Avenue and Albury Road were constantly not working, and he had to escalate the matter to JRA.
Ward 73 councillor Eleanor Huggett added: “Non-working traffic lights at the Louis Botha intersection and 10th Street were particularly a problem.”
JRA oversees a vast network of 2 023 signalised intersections, comprising over 16 000 poles, 100 000 LED bulbs, and 2 023 controller boxes. These components must function seamlessly at all times, however, the municipal entity currently faces more than 360 cases of vandalism and theft, with new incidents reported daily. The extent of damage varies, from cut poles to the removal of cables, significantly hampering operations.
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The backlog of repairs due to theft, vandalism, and accidents exceeds R70m, placing significant strain on the entity’s maintenance budget.
CEO of JRA Zweli Nyathi noted that the primary contributors to malfunctioning traffic signals include technical faults, power outages, theft, vandalism, and accidents. “Globally, cities face similar challenges, but it’s up to us to develop solutions tailored to South Africa’s unique context. JRA, in collaboration with private sector stakeholders and academic institutions, is actively exploring innovative solutions to mitigate these challenges. To address technical faults, JRA has installed Remote Monitoring Systems (RMS) on more than 80% of our traffic light controllers.”
These systems detect and report over 90% of faults before they become apparent to the public, enabling faster responses. For power-related issues, JRA partnered with over 40 companies to connect traffic signals near their buildings to backup power supplies.
To date, more than 80 intersections have been successfully linked, with plans to connect an additional 80 intersections by the end of June.
Nyathi highlighted that theft and vandalism did not only target JRA infrastructure but also compromised Eskom and City Power cables, leading to prolonged repairs. “If a traffic light is left intact and maintained regularly, it can last up to 10 years. However, recurring theft and damage undermine this potential.”
To address this, JRA, in partnership with the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD), implemented measures to hold motorists accountable for accidents that damage traffic signals.
The CEO added that many incidents were caused by distracted drivers – those who were drunk, texting, or talking on their phones.
JRA’s efforts to mitigate power outages through Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems are also hampered by theft. Of the 1 400 UPS units installed at critical intersections, fewer than 15 remain operational.
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