Driving to the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court can rather easily turn disastrous as, in addition to traffic lights being out of order, taxi drivers and motorists alike flout traffic laws in broad daylight.
The roads in the Wynberg business district need attention from the Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA).
JRA was asked to account for the roads in Wynberg, to which JRA spokesperson Bertha Peters-Scheepers issued a statement acknowledging that roads in Johannesburg need work and indicating that the agency is dealing with issues and challenges, like cable theft and vandalism.
“Johannesburg currently has over 200 traffic signal intersections impacted by cable theft; in the Wynberg area, we have nine traffic signal poles that have been cut down by criminals for cable theft,” Peters-Scheepers said. “The JRA is facing an enormous battle to save the City’s road traffic signals from rampant theft and vandalism. Criminal syndicates are spreading their illegal activities across the entire City stripping our traffic signals bare for any materials that can be resold at a fraction of the replacement cost, from the traffic signal pole, copper cables, electrical components, and other equipment like signal heads, uninterrupted power supplies (UPS) and controllers. This impacts the working of traffic signals which are essential services and jeopardizes public safety.”
Peters-Scheepers listed the JRA’s current efforts aimed at curbing cable theft and vandalism including:
n Interventions by the JRA which collaborates with entities such as City Power, JMPD, SAPS and security organisations to ensure a more effective response.
n Replacement of metal products with alternative materials. A reduction in the attractiveness of copper cables to vandals, either by using fewer cores or using an alternative material to copper as well as strengthening unit access and security has been piloted.
n The fight against vandalism and theft can only be curbed through Active Citizenry and community involvement, policing, and public awareness.
“At this stage, JRA cannot confirm when these specific traffic intersections will be rebuilt as the ongoing vandalism and theft city-wide is draining JRA’s traffic signal maintenance budget; however, as a temporary interim solution, JRA has requested JMPD points-people to direct traffic during peak hour traffic and also for members of the public to treat the impacted intersections as four-way-stops until the traffic signals are in working order again,” Peters-Scheepers concluded.
“JRA is appealing to scrapyard owners not to purchase CoJ and JRA assets when approached with these items by the culprits, and community members are requested to engage in the City’s Active Citizenry initiative and report all acts of vandalism and theft of the road infrastructure and City’s furniture to the City of Johannesburg’s Call Centre 0860 562 874 or report these criminal activities to the SAPS 0860010111 or JMPD 011 375 5911.”
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