Fourways residents are urged not to support unofficial traffic pointsmen
FOURWAYS – They may help motorists out of a jam, but local leaders are urging people not to support or encourage unofficial pointsmen who stand in the road when traffic lights are out.
They may keep traffic flowing during load-shedding, disruptions caused by rain and other power outages, but community leaders are urging residents not to support unofficial traffic pointsmen.
Although it may seem harmless to have members of the public directing traffic if there is a problem with the traffic lights, a number of voices in the Fourways area have spoken against the practice due to concerns about it being dangerous, illegal and a potential motive for sabotage. So far a local ward councillor, the chair of Future City Fourways and the MMC for Safety have spoken out about the matter.
“In the last week or so, two residents have called me to report men in reflective vests directing motorists at the traffic lights while [the lights] have not been working,” said Candice James, councillor for Ward 93. “People have reported this happening a number of times at the intersection of Witkoppen and Main roads, and also once at the Robin and Main roads intersection.”
Although the men are wearing reflective gear, members of the public are able to tell that they are not official pointsmen as their vests are faded and not branded with the Metro police (JMPD) nor Outsurance branding, as is the case for city-appointed staff.
“These men are neither trained nor experienced in directing traffic,” added Jean Berdou of Future City Fourways. “And while their actions may be good, it can be a danger to the public.”
James also pointed out that it can be dangerous for the pointsmen as well, who are in the middle of the road and could be struck and injured by a passing motorist.
Another concern is that both Berdou and James have received unconfirmed reports that some of these men, in some instances, are intentionally damaging the lights in order to create an opportunity to direct traffic. “[I believe] that they do this because members of the public have taken to tipping them. In some cases, people have thrown R50 notes outside the car as they drive past.”
James concurred with the idea that sabotage might be taking place – after a set of traffic lights in her ward were reported broken, she relayed the matter to the JMPD and Joburg Roads Agency only to be told that the lights were not broken, but instead had been turned off.
When asked for comment, Michael Sun, the MMC for Public Safety, said that he too had received reports of sabotage and said that he had personally witnessed unofficial pointsmen at the intersection of William Nicol Drive and Sunset Avenue.
“[The city’s] concerns are the following: The law allows only those trained and authorised to manage traffic,” Sun said in a statement. “Any unauthorised and untrained person directing traffic could find themselves in serious trouble. If an accident is caused as a result, the unauthorised pointsmen can be held both civilly and criminally liable.”
Berdou also said that he understood why members of the public would want to help and support the unofficial pointsmen, and suggested that they can do so by supporting public involvement in projects such as the JMPD’s City Traffic Warden Programme.
