Illegal traffic pointsmen make money from tampering with the City’s infrastructure
200 Pointsmen were appointed to reduce vandalism and cable theft.
Ward 94 councillor David Foley encourages motorists to stop giving money to homeless people who direct traffic. “This will limit the destruction of infrastructure which will interfere with traffic in the mornings. The latest trick for illegal pointsmen is to make a hole in the controller box and pour coldrink or water in it so it short circuits.”
A spokesperson for the JMPD, Superintendent Xolani Fihla said, “The JMPD is aware of the growing challenges of load-shedding, cable theft, and vandalism of critical infrastructure as traffic lights across the city are not working and causing traffic disruptions with congestion being experienced at critical intersections, especially during peak hour periods.”
Fihla said these challenges have attracted unauthorised people into trying to control traffic which has safety and accountability implications.
MMC for Public Safety Mgcini Tshwaku, the Public Safety Department and JMPD recently announced the appointment of 200 new pointsmen. “The officers are deployed to control traffic in affected areas. This initiative aims to minimise disruptions caused by power-related challenges and unauthorized individuals attempting to control traffic,” said Fihla.
“The pointsmen have been deployed in all the regions of the city and their duties are to control traffic during peak hour periods, assist children in crossing the road at busy intersections, and traffic management during special events. We urge the community to cooperate with the JMPD pointsmen and adhere to their instructions for the safety and efficiency of all road users. Additionally, we are actively working with relevant authorities to address the underlying issues causing these disruptions.”
Foley said traffic lights are often out of service. “They will be fixed this week and vandalised the next. There are intersections in my ward that were out for months. Winnie Mandela Drive and Fourways Boulevard were out for months before they were fixed. The M71 and Lonehill Boulevard are still flashing, so something must be wrong with the controller.”
Foley hopes that the pointsmen will reduce frustrations experienced by motorists when traffic lights are off completely or malfunctioning.
Related article: Traffic vandalism causes major setbacks for Johannesburg Road Agency
