Help find traffic light vandals

The traffic lights on the corner of Prince George Drive and Vrygrond Avenue have been vandalised for the fourth time in six months.

The City of Cape Town has made an urgent plea for help to find those responsible for vandalising traffic signals in Prince George Drive.

The traffic lights at Prince George Drive and Oude Vlei Road in Marina Da Gama were once again vandalised on Tuesday January 7 for the fourth time in eight months (“Ire over smash-and-grabs”, Southern Mail, November 27 2019).

The City’s transport directorate will assess the extent of the damage. It is uncertain when repairs will start and how long it will take to get the signal functioning again.

The City’s Mayco member for transport, Felicity Purchase, said the wilful destruction of public property is endangering the lives of motorists and pedestrians: “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”.

She said traffic flow will be severely impacted when most residents return to work and schools opening this week and that it will cost the City thousands of rands to have it repaired.

“It is a waste of money and resources that could have been used for other priorities. I’m calling on residents to please help us identify the perpetrators and to report the details to the South African Police Service, or the Transport Information Centre. I also want to warn those who target our essential infrastructure that we are investigating avenues for installing surveillance equipment at these hot spots so that we can identify the suspects and have them arrested and prosecuted,” said Ms Purchase.

Motorists are urged to approach the intersection with caution, especially at night, and to use it as a four-way stop until further notice.

If you have any information, contact the Transport Information Centre on 0800 65 64 63 or call the SAPS.