The City of Johannesburg is quietly waging war against rampant vandalism and theft of traffic signals across the metro.
The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) manages an expansive network of 2,023 signalized intersections including over 16,000 poles, 100,000 LED bulbs, and 2,023 controller boxes.
“These components must always function seamlessly,” said Chief Executive Officer, Zweli Nyathi.
“However, the municipal entity currently faces over 360 cases of vandalism and theft, with new incidents reported daily.”
The damage ranges from cut poles to cable removal, significantly hampering operations.
Perhaps more alarmingly, of the 1,400 Uninterruptible Power Supply units which are intended to keep important signals operational during grid outages, fewer than 15 remain operational.
“Solar panels have faced similar challenges, prompting the JRA to explore alternative solutions such as compact battery packs,” said Nyathi.
The backlog of repairs due to theft, vandalism, and accidents exceeds R70 million, placing significant strain on the entity’s maintenance budget.
The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport last year revealed that it costs anywhere between R900,000 and an astounding R1.5 million to replace just one broken or stolen traffic signal.
The war on vandalism
The JRA is actively developing solutions to the issue of theft, vandalism, and accidents within a South African context, Nyathi said.
The entity has installed Remote Monitoring Systems on more than 80% of its traffic light controllers which are able to detect and report over 90% of faults before they become apparent to the public, enabling faster responses.
For power-related issues, it has partnered with over 40 companies to connect traffic signals near their buildings to backup power supplies.
To date, more than 80 intersections have been successfully linked, with plans to connect an additional 80 intersections by the end of June.
Nyathi emphasized that vandalism affects not only JRA infrastructure but also cables, leading to prolonged repairs.
“If left intact and maintained regularly, a traffic light can last up to 10 years. However, recurring theft and damage undermine this potential,” he said.
To counteract theft and vandalism, which not only affects the JRA but also Eskom and City Power, it has partnered with the Johannesburg Metro Police to introduce measures holding motorists accountable for accidents that damage traffic signals.
“Many incidents are caused by distracted drivers—those who are drunk, texting, or talking on their phones,” Nyathi adds.
It has employed proactive measures such as flood mitigation strategies, too, which have already yielded positive results.
The JRA is also in talks with private sector stakeholders and academic institutions to come up with additional solutions to mitigate these challenges.
“If left intact and maintained regularly, a traffic light can last up to 10 years,” concludes Nyathi.
“However, recurring theft and damage undermine this potential.”
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