The intersection of Christian de Wet Road and Paul Kruger Avenue was without functioning traffic lights for almost a week. During peak hour traffic it took motorists more than 10 minutes to drive through the intersection as there were no consistent traffic controls by JMPD officers or Outsurance pointsmen regulating traffic.
JMPD spokesperson Edna Mamonyane said the reason why some intersections don’t have JMPD officers allocated to them when traffic lights are not working is because they have to prioritise other issues. “Sometimes an area may have many intersections with traffic lights out of order and therefore we allocate our officers where we can. At other times there are several accidents around the City which need the attention of the JMPD officers. In some cases, accidents take priority over traffic lights that are not working.”
She added that motorists should always follow the rules of the road at all times. “When a traffic light is not working, it should be used as a four-way stop, and individuals should be cautious at all times.”
Spokesperson for the Johannesburg Roads Agency, Mosa Makhalima, has explained that the non-functionality of traffic lights was due to the theft of a circuit breaker “Signal at Christiaan De Wet Road and Paul Kruger Avenue was reported all out on 4 September and technicians found signal had no power. It was reported to City Power. On 6 September we replaced a traffic signal pole that was knocked over and 12 meters of damaged cable. On 17 September it was reported all out and technicians found the circuit breaker from the City Power supply box had been stolen. We have contacted City Power to get this repaired.”
The lights have since been repaired.
