Cape Town - The City of Cape Town is struggling to win the fight against traffic light vandalism and is forking out millions of rand each year to traffic signal companies for the repair and replacement of faulty or damaged robots.
The traffic signal at the intersection of Prince George Drive (M5) and Oude Vlei Road in Marina Da Gama was again vandalised on Tuesday evening, and the city is now calling on residents to help identify those responsible for vandalising the traffic signal.
Transport mayco member, Felicity Purchase said transport directorate officials still need to assess the extent of the damage, and it was uncertain when repairs will be undertaken and how long it will take to get the signal functioning again.
Purchase said: "This is a disgrace. This signal was repaired by mid-December 2019, also as a result of vandalism. It is not even a month later and we are now faced with another emergency repair yet again."
"This willful destruction of public property is endangering the lives of motorists and pedestrians alike. Traffic flow will be severely impacted next week when most residents return to work and with the schools opening for the new year. Also, every time a signal is destroyed we spend thousands of rands to get it repaired – it is a waste of money and resources that could have been used for other priorities," Purchase said.
Last year, the vandalised traffic signals were suspected to be caused and violated by a group of protesters on October 31, and the City commenced with the repairs on December 1, with an estimated cost of R2,67 million or R890 000 per intersection.
Purchase is calling on residents to please help us identify the perpetrators and to report the details to the police or the Transport Information Centre on 0800 65 64 63.
"I also want to warn those who target our essential infrastructure that we are investigating avenues for installing surveillance equipment at these hotspots so that we can identify the suspects and have them arrested and prosecuted," she said, the City will inform the public once repairs are underway.
Purchase requested motorists to approach the intersection with caution, especially at night, and to use it as a 4-way-stop until further notice.
@SISONKE_MD
Cape Argus