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Lack of Answers Regarding Snake Road Robots Repair

Published

7 months ago

October 19, 2023

For the past six months, the pending repair of Snake Road robots has motorists on Snake Road facing daily traffic congestion due to cable theft and damage to traffic light infrastructure. There are still no concrete answers regarding repairs.

Since the beginning of March, the traffic lights along this 4km stretch of road have fallen victim to vandalism, with the lights being cut down at their base and cabling removed. Melanie Kruger, a resident of Mackenzie Park, reported that traffic lights at seven intersections were damaged during March and April, with some signal masts even stolen.

This spree of destruction began on Heron Street. It quickly spread to other intersections, including Tom Jones Street, Dewald Hattingh Road, and Flamingo Avenue. By April, traffic lights at Snake and Dewald Hattingh, Main Reef and New Modder roads, and Pioneer and Golden drives were non-functional.

As a result, traffic has reached a standstill, particularly during peak hours, leading to increasing frustration and dangerous situations. Some drivers have resorted to speeding through the intersections to bypass the congestion.

While EMPD officials have been conducting point duties at some affected intersections, this has had a limited impact on the traffic situation. To save time, many motorists have begun using Mackenzie Park to avoid the congestion, turning the quiet suburb into a thoroughfare for hundreds of vehicles daily.

Also read: Frustration Mounts as Road Project in Kempton Park Continues

There has also been a noticeable rise in smash-and-grab incidents as criminals exploit gridlocked traffic. Meanwhile, officials from the Benoni City Times have sought answers about the repairs from CoE spokesperson Zweli Dlamini, who referred them to the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport.

Dlamini explained that the road falls under the ownership of the Gauteng Provincial Government, and the Metro cannot comment on how it will address the issue of damaged and vandalised infrastructure.

While the Benoni Police Station’s spokesperson, Captain Nomsa Sekele, acknowledged the increased occurrence of smash-and-grab incidents, no corresponding increase in reported cases has been recorded. She suggested that motorists may report these crimes at police stations closer to their homes.

Brigadier Sudesh Sookraj, the newly appointed Benoni SAPS station commander, is committed to deploying Vispol members to conduct visible policing operations in the area until the issue of non-functional traffic lights is resolved.

Lerato Monyane, media liaison for the EMPD, indicated that CoE engineers have contacted the provincial government to address the matter. However, responsibility for safeguarding the infrastructure against vandalism and theft falls on the CoE. The EMPD will intensify its patrols by collaborating with other law enforcement agencies to prevent further damage.

Source: No answers on the repair of Snake Road robots

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