Officers manage traffic at large intersections – EMPD

While many motorists have been bemoaning an ‘absence’ of pointsmen to help direct traffic on busy Boksburg roads, the EMPD says its officers, including traffic wardens, are deployed to control traffic and divert it to alternative routes during peak times.

Since the closure of the stretch of Rondebult Road in Comet, traffic remains a nightmare for many motorists on the alternative routes in Boksburg during peak hours, even worse if traffic lights are out because of load-shedding.

Residents driving in and out of Boksburg have last week shared some of their traffic frustrations with the Boksburg Advertiser, saying they constantly suffer between 30-minute to an hour delays, as traffic gets backed up along all routes in and out of the area, especially during peak hours.
They said the situation is further made worse by the lack of pointsmen at most of the city’s busiest intersections during peak hours.
Following the mounting concern from motorists who were stuck in traffic in the absence of adequate officers and pointsmen to help, the Advertiser sought answers from the EMPD.

EMPD media liaison officer Inspector Kobeli Mokheseng said the Boksburg EMPD precinct has noted the drastic effect of the road closure, and in light of that, they have thus rolled out traffic mitigation plans. This included deploying at least 24 members to help control traffic and ease congestion at identified hot spots in the city.

Mokheseng, however, pointed out that priority is given to most affected routes, meaning drivers should not expect to see EMPD pointsmen on every street corner.

Motorists also complained that some drivers were behaving badly on the gridlocked roads, saying they sometimes even drive in oncoming lanes to avoid sitting in traffic.

Concerning the unruly behaviour, the EMPD urges drivers to always obey the rules of the road and where there are no pointsmen, motorists should treat those intersections as stop streets.

“We urge motorists to adhere to the rules and cooperate with the pointsmen’s instructions on the roads.
“While driving in these heavily congested alternative routes, drivers should look out for the safety of pedestrians and other road users at large, and be patient as the volume of traffic is on the increase because of the road closure.”

Also Read: WATCH: Load shedding causing chaos on major routes, pointsmen nowhere to be seen