Traffic pointsmen relieve congestion
Cables running to the traffic lights in Empangeni had to be temporarily removed.
OUT-of-order traffic lights and the lack of pointsmen raised the ire of Empangeni motorists.
With the construction of the John Ross Parkway and the upgrading of the intersections, cables running to the traffic lights had to be temporarily removed.
This resulted in traffic flow coming to a standstill while motorists battled their way through a four-way stop.
After a number of complaints, the Zululand Observer contacted the municipality and the following morning two pointsmen were seen at the two intersections which had non-functioning traffic lights.
‘It would take an hour to travel a few kilometres during the morning and afternoon rush-hour traffic without the pointsmen on duty. It was getting ridiculous. I was late for work, getting the children to school and almost missed a doctor’s appointment which I had been waiting for, for months,’ one irate resident complained.
However, traffic is now flowing relatively smoothly and the effectiveness of the pointsmen can be seen in motorist behaviour and the smiles on their faces.
