Motorists not seeing red
HONEYDEW - Motorist unintentionally skips red light and collides with taxi
On 29 January at about 9.45am a minibus taxi and a vehicle collided on the corner of Beyers Naudé Drive and Braam Street in Honeydew.
The vehicle was travelling from Juice Street, intending to cross Beyers Naudé Drive and turn into Braam Street, when it collided with the taxi driving on Beyers Naudé.
The driver of the vehicle Chris Keary explained he unintentionally drove through a red traffic light because the traffic light facing in his direction was green. He alleges that this traffic light was intentionally turned to face the wrong direction. “A tow truck driver who was with us at the scene told me that it looks like someone is playing a game here,” said Keary
In the article, Turned traffic lights confuse drivers, week ending 10 January, it was alleged that tow truck drivers may be responsible for turning traffic lights to face the wrong direction to confuse drivers.
Spokesperson for Johannesburg Roads Agency, Bertha Peter-Scheepers confirmed there had been reported cases of deliberate twisting of traffic lights. “Not only are the perpetrators responsible for placing the lives and safety of road users at risk , but they are also sabotaging and deliberately destroying road infrastructure,” she said.
She explained traffic light heads were tightened with M10 galvanized bolts and nuts, however the signal head could still be moved if sufficient pressure was applied. Routine maintenance teams were dispatched to straighten twisted traffic light heads and every traffic signal in the agency’s jurisdiction was inspected at least once a month.
According to Peter-Scheepers the agency has had reported cases where police have arrested tow truck drivers for twisting traffic light heads and in certain areas traffic light heads have to be straightened on a regular basis. She claimed that in most cases the agency’s staff noticed tow truck drivers were stationed very close to these intersections.
“This behaviour cannot be tolerated by the roads agency,” said Peter-Scheepers. “To safeguard the city’s assets, the roads agency is in the process of creating an Infrastructure Protection Unit to ensure a more effective response to vandalism and theft through closer institutional relationships with Metro police, police and other security organisations”
