Retired consultant offers a budget-saving solution for JRA: Prioritising Pedestrian Signals

In a bid to assist the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) in managing its budget effectively, Brian Segar, a retired road and traffic engineering consultant with five decades of expertise, has put forth a suggestion that could optimise resources while maintaining essential services. Segar proposes a strategic approach to pedestrian signals at road intersections to ensure budgetary constraints are met without compromising safety or traffic management.

According to Segar, pedestrian signals should only be installed at intersections where there is a significant volume of pedestrian traffic crossing heavily frequented roads. By eliminating unnecessary signal heads that serve limited purposes, JRA can free up valuable equipment and gloves for the maintenance of traffic signals that genuinely contribute to road safety and traffic management.

“Removing all of those unnecessary signal heads would provide JRA with spare equipment and globes to use in maintaining those traffic signals that do not provide a useful service. Never installing such pedestrian signals ever again would significantly reduce the cost of all new installations,” said Segar.

He added “The controllers needed would be less complicated and the other hardware requirements would be significantly reduced. Having at least eight globes burning 24 hours a day at each set of pedestrian signals while providing zero benefits is a costly waste of electricity ratepayers’ funds, especially in view of Eskom’s lack of adequate generating capacity.”

The rationale behind Segar’s proposal lies in the optimisation of resources. With limited budgets, it becomes imperative for JRA to prioritizs essential services. By removing redundant pedestrian signal heads, JRA can redirect its resources to ensure the maintenance and functionality of traffic signals that are crucial for smooth traffic flow and pedestrian safety.

Segar’s suggestion not only aims to address budget constraints but also underscores the importance of efficient resource management. By reallocating spare equipment and gloves, JRA can enhance its ability to promptly attend to maintenance issues and minimize disruptions caused by malfunctioning traffic signals.

Brian Segar’s suggestion to halt the replacement of pedestrian signals at road intersections, except where warranted by high pedestrian volumes, presents JRA with an opportunity to stay within its budget while maintaining essential services. The removal of unnecessary signal heads would provide spare equipment and gloves, which can be utilised in the maintenance of traffic signals that play a vital role in ensuring smooth traffic flow and pedestrian safety. By adopting this approach, JRA can effectively optimise its resources and enhance its overall operational efficiency.

JRA spokesperson Bertha Peter-Scheeper’s previous comment said, “JRA is appealing to scrapyard owners not to purchase COJ and JRA assets when approached with these items by the culprits, and community members are requested to engage in the City’s Active Citizenry initiative and report all acts of vandalism and theft of the road infrastructure and City’s furniture to the City of Johannesburg’s call centre 0860 562 874 or report these criminal activities to the SAPS 086 0010 111 or JMPD 011 375 5911.”

Vino Reddy, Ward 93 councillor, said, “Traffic signal controls need to be protected as they are easily accessible and depending on the ads of the controls are prone to vandalism.”

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