Consultant’s Solution: Prioritising Pedestrian Signals for JRA

Brian Segar, a retired road and traffic engineering consultant with extensive experience, has suggested aiding the Johannesburg Roads Agency’s (JRA) inefficient budget management. Segar’s proposal strategically places pedestrian signals at road intersections to meet budget constraints while maintaining safety and traffic management.

Segar suggests installing pedestrian signals only at intersections with significant pedestrian traffic on heavily frequented roads. By eliminating unnecessary signal heads that serve limited purposes, the JRA can free up valuable equipment and resources for maintaining traffic signals that genuinely enhance road safety and traffic flow.

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Segar highlights the benefits of removing redundant signal heads: “This would provide JRA with spare equipment and resources to maintain traffic signals that provide useful services. Additionally, refraining from installing such pedestrian signals in the future would significantly reduce the cost of new installations.”

Furthermore, Segar emphasises that simplified controllers and reduced hardware requirements would accompany this approach. Considering the strain on electricity generation, he points out that having numerous globes burning around the clock at each pedestrian signal, without any tangible benefits, is an unnecessary burden on ratepayers’ funds.

Segar’s proposal aims to optimise resources, particularly within limited budgets. By reallocating resources from redundant signal heads, the JRA can prioritise the maintenance and functionality of traffic signals essential for smooth traffic flow and pedestrian safety.

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Segar’s suggestion addresses budget constraints and underscores the significance of efficient resource management. By redirecting spare equipment and resources, the JRA can improve its responsiveness to maintenance issues and minimise disruptions caused by malfunctioning traffic signals.

Adopting Brian Segar’s recommendation to halt the replacement of pedestrian signals at road intersections, unless warranted by high pedestrian volumes, offers the JRA an opportunity to adhere to its budget while maintaining essential services. Removing unnecessary signal heads would provide spare equipment and resources to maintain traffic signals crucial for ensuring efficient traffic flow and pedestrian safety. This approach enables the JRA to optimise resources and enhance overall operational efficiency.

In a previous statement, when approached by culprits, JRA spokesperson Bertha Peter-Scheeper appealed to scrapyard owners not to purchase COJ and JRA assets. Community members are encouraged to participate in the City’s Active Citizenry initiative and report acts of vandalism and theft of road infrastructure and City furniture to the City of Johannesburg’s call centre at 0860 562 874. Alternatively, criminal activities can be reported to SAPS at 086 0010 111 or JMPD at 011 375 5911.

Ward 93 councillor Vino Reddy stressed the importance of protecting traffic signal controls due to their vulnerability to vandalism and the potential disruptions caused by such acts.

Source: Retired consultant offers a budget-saving solution for JRA: Prioritising Pedestrian Signals

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Photo: Supplied by Fourways Review