The City of Cape Town’s Transport Directorate has commenced with the repairs to the traffic signals along Prince George Drive (M5) that were vandalised during violent protests on 31 October 2019. If all goes as planned, the signals should be in a working order by mid-December 2019.

The team has commenced with the work yesterday, 2 December 2019, and will need about ten work days to complete the repairs starting with the intersection at Military Road and Prince George Drive.

‘We have been receiving many complaints about these signals being out of order, and residents have asked why it is taking us so long to do the repairs. Firstly, to date, it has been too dangerous for officials to access the area to do the necessary work. Also, those who have been involved in the violent protests have threatened to destroy these signals again should the City attempt to do the repairs. The situation has finally stabilised, but I am still concerned about these threats,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Transport, Alderman Felicity Purchase.

The estimated cost of the repair work is R2,67 million or R890 000 per intersection, and includes:

thrust boring to install cable ducts

the procurement and installation of signal controllers, signal poles and lanterns, audio-tactile pedestrian push-buttons

the procurement and installation of cabling, and traffic detection and communication equipment; and

the reinstatement of the sidewalk

Also, one of the intersections will require substantial cable replacement.

‘The above figures demonstrate the astronomical cost associated with repairing vandalised and damaged traffic signals. This does not take into account the inconvenience to motorists while the signals are out of order, the impact on the flow of traffic, and the safety risk as road users are required to use these signals as 4-way-stops,’ said Alderman Purchase.

Prince George Drive is a busy and popular route, and carries a lot of traffic.

‘We will try our best to get the work done before the festive season is in full swing. I want to plead with residents from the area to please work with us, and to inform the police should they notice anyone tampering with the signals, or vandalism of the equipment.

‘We cannot allow a situation where a small group of people destabilise an area and destroy essential infrastructure. The signal at Vrygrond has been vandalised three times over the past few months alone. The money we now need to spend on doing repairs could have been spent on building new roads and sidewalks in these very same communities,’ said Alderman Purchase.

Source: City Of Cape Town