Road vandals are being dealt with for their crimes
A recent traffic light looting prompted an enquiry to find out what the City is doing to curb this emergent problem.
The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) has denied knowledge of any syndicate operating along Winnie Mandela Drive, vandalising and stealing the traffic signal infrastructure.
The JRA was contacted on June 18 following a call from a source who claimed to have witnessed the traffic signals at the intersection between Winnie Mandela Drive and Sloane Street in Bryanston being vandalised. The caller claimed that the incident occurred on June 15.
The acting head of mobility and freight at JRA Sipho Nhlapo said they hold no knowledge of there being a syndicate behind the crime. “We are aware of intersections that are getting vandalised,” said Nhlapo.
Nhlapo added JRA has participated in successful court proceedings against persons facing charges relating to stealing the city’s infrastructure. “We have had recent successes where those who were arrested have been sentenced, with the highest getting a 20-year sentence, and eight years being the least,” said Nhlapo.
He added the most valuable components the criminals were targeting were copper cables. According to Nhlapo, the JRA have plans for curbing the spread of infrastructure-crippling copper crimes.
The utility has reduced the copper content of the cables as they re-cable their network and also introduced aluminium-clad copper cables, towards decreasing the value of the copper used by mixing it with aluminium.
Another solution being explored is transmitting power over data cables, but these options require reconfigurations of JRA’s equipment on the ground. Nhlapo said this would be expensive to deploy across the agency’s vast network of 2 021 signalised intersections.
“The JRA has to report every theft, vandalism and accident impacting our traffic signals. This is necessary for a follow-up with the city’s assets insurers and for police investigations,” Nhlapo clarified. “Our team is always called in to verify if the cables are ours because it could be City Power’s, Eskom’s or Transnet’s.”
JMPD spokesperson Superintendent Xolani Fihla said, “JMPD has taken several measures to address the issue of vandalism and damage to traffic lights and crucial infrastructure in the city. JMPD has established an Infrastructure Protection Unit to deal with theft, vandalism, and other damage to crucial infrastructure as part of coordinated efforts to stop the situation. There have been arrests related to theft damage to traffic lights and vandalism.”
A resident Emi Koekemoer said it was frustrating to travel when robots were not functioning due to vandalism.
“It becomes problematic because people take chances and drive in the emergency lane, trying to cut in,” Koekemoer said. “This causes more congestion and then you get accidents.”
Ward 106 councillor Chris Santana said this particular intersection being non-functioning had not been reported to him. “I can’t escalate matters without logged issue references,” Santana stressed, encouraging community members to let him know when they identify urgent issues about traffic as well. “When traffic lights aren’t in sync, it causes problems on the road.”
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