johannesburg traffic controllers
The informal pointsmen have said the traffic lights have been out of order for months. Photo: City of Ekurhuleni

Home » City of Ekurhuleni replaces damaged traffic lights with Stop Signs

City of Ekurhuleni replaces damaged traffic lights with Stop Signs

The City of Ekurhuleni is concerned about the high costs of replacing traffic lights which are damaged through avoidable human actions.

31-08-23 10:07
johannesburg traffic controllers
The informal pointsmen have said the traffic lights have been out of order for months. Photo: City of Ekurhuleni

Avoidable damage to traffic lights is forcing the City of Ekurhuleni to replace them with Stop Signs due to hefty cost of replacement.

WHY IS THE CITY OF EKURHULENI RESORTING TO THE USE OF STOP SIGNS?

In a statement, the City of Ekurhuleni said it is concerned about the high costs of replacing traffic lights which are mainly damaged through avoidable human actions such as vehicle accidents, theft, and vandalism.

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“The City spent around R120 million fixing and replacing traffic lights in the previous financial year that ended June 2022.”City of Ekurhuleni

DECISION TO PERMANENTLY REMOVE TRAFFIC SIGNALS TO BE ASSESSED IN SOME AREAS


The City has decided that in some incidents, damaged traffic lights will be replaced with stop signs due to limited funds.

“Although the installation of the stop signs is a temporary measure, some intersections may have the stop signs permanently. The permanent installation thereof will follow a process to di-warrant the traffic signal as per the South African Road Traffic Signs Manual (SARSM) which guides all decisions on traffic signals in the City,” the City of Ekurhuleni explained.

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In addition, the City will continue to adhere to the 24-hour turnaround time for attending to faulty or damaged road signals to ensure smooth and safe movement of motorists. Whilst routine scouting is done to identify faulty or missing traffic lights, residents are encouraged to inform the City through the call centre on 086 054 3000.

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WHO IS RESPONSIBLE AND WHERE?


NB: In total, there are 1,350 traffic lights in Ekurhuleni. About 1 127 are maintained by the City of Ekurhuleni and the remainder are maintained by Gauteng Provincial Government.

“In the event it belonging to the province is faulty, the matter is escalated for their intervention,” the City further explained.