Small things can make a difference

It’s a small thing, I know.

We live in a country with extreme poverty, joblessness and major challenges when it comes to basic service delivery.

The majority of the people in this country deserve better, mainly from the government.

ALSO READ: 80% of Johannesburg bridges in ‘imminent danger’ of collapse, says JRA

But often it is the small things that can make a big difference, something that can, and would, ease the stress levels just a bit each day.

And that is to have working traffic lights. Yes, it is a small thing, but it is also a massive thing.

For the life of me, I cannot understand how we cannot ensure that our traffic lights work all the time.

I can understand if there is load shedding, but we haven’t had that for months now and yet, all across our city, there are traffic lights that simply don’t do what they’re supposed to.

I’m not even going to discuss the absurdity of it all when it rains; because then it’s utter chaos.

The smallest, most insignificant drops of water result in just about every intersection going black; no red, amber and green. Why? It’s ridiculous!

In a world where we are all financially stretched, have work stresses, personal challenges and general traffic congestion, non-working traffic lights can, and do, raise blood pressure levels and get one seriously worked up.

Maybe it shouldn’t be this way. Maybe I make too much of it and should chill and calm down, but I can’t help it.

I’m convinced we’d all be a lot calmer and more relaxed if all the traffic lights in our city just worked properly.

It’s a little thing, but it would make a world of difference in our already stressed lives where time is so precious.

ALSO READ: Know your rights: Motorists can refuse to pay traffic fines at roadblocks

What a waste it is to sit in long traffic queues. And then there are the idiots who don’t know how the nonfunctioning traffic light intersection is supposed to work, or don’t care. We get worked up, scream and shout.

Streets lights are another major issue. Our dark, pot-holed streets make driving at night dangerous and a lottery.

I’m convinced we’d have far less accidents if our roads were better lit and cared for.

It’s another little thing, but they all add up.

Come on, JMPD or the roads agency … whoever is in charge: please make the traffic lights work, all the time. And fix the street lights, please. Is it too much to ask?