The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport is concerned at the alarming amount of theft and vandalism of traffic signals, which cost the province R30m last year.
The main reason for the vandalism is to get to the copper content of the wiring in the traffic lights and cables that supply their power.
High-profile intersections such as Hendrik Potgieter and Christiaan De Wet are repeatedly vandalised shortly after repairs exceeding R500 000, the department said in a statement.
The cost of rebuilding and repairing the traffic lights at a major intersection can be as much as R1.5 million. In the past year over 400 cases of vandalism at intersections were identified.
In some cases former traffic light-controlled intersections are being considered for conversion to four-way stops.
“This is a trend that must be curbed as it is not only expensive to remedy the vandalism but there are safety issues for motorists and pedestrians. It is also difficult for the city’s fiscus to find money to fix affected traffic intersections,” said a spokesperson for Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, the MEC for the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport.
At present the Department of Science and Technology and research bodies are piloting the use of hydrogen cells to provide an alternative copper-wire-free power supply. It is being piloted in conjunction with the Johannesburg Roads Agency at an undisclosed location.
