An initiative by residents’ associations (RA) to keep traffic flowing during load-shedding and power outages, is garnering significant interest among local businesses.
The Adopt-a-Robot initiative aims to power traffic lights using backup power, be it from solar or generator systems, to eliminate traffic disruptions due to electricity loss.
According to WRAP RA chair Martin van der Westhuizen, rapid development in the Northside will inevitably have an impact on traffic conditions.
“Congestion is already part of our everyday life,” he said. “In addition, there is a lot of residential, retail, and business development happening in the area. The last thing residents and businesses need is even more disruption due to load-shedding and power outages. It is severely affecting the quality of life for residents, as well as the profitability of local businesses.”
The swift adoption of the initiative by both the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) and local businesses is thanks largely to the tireless efforts of the RAs. From concept to execution, they made full use of every opportunity to expedite the process, doing a lot of groundwork in establishing contact with both the JRA and local businesses.
“JRA came to the party in a big way,” said Van der Westhuizen, who is full of praise for the openness of JRA to adopt this initiative.
“They were eager to engage with us and the community, and they have gone out of their way to expedite the process, which usually takes a long time for government departments.”
Van der Westhuizen is also full of praise for local businesses who were quick to see the huge benefits that this project promises, not only for the businesses themselves but also for residents.
One of the first businesses to sign up was The Ridge Shopping Centre in Radiokop. The centre has agreed to power two intersections, Nic Diederichs and Mozart roads, as well as Paul Kruger Road and Diepkloof Street.
A site visit was carried out by centre management, City Power senior technicians, and an RA representative on Tuesday, February 13, where it was concluded that everything was ready for the connection process to begin.
“The centre is providing a power point inside its premises. The JRA will connect the two intersections to the power point. This means that, during load-shedding or other power outages, the traffic lights will automatically switch over to using the backup power provided by the centre.
Other businesses that have already signed up include Kwena Square and The Falls shopping centre, which, between them, signed up to power three intersections, and the Chamberlain hardware store in Weltevreden Park, which has agreed to power two intersections.
