Online Reporter
The Herald, 11 November 1999
Municipality’s finance committee has recommended that at least $100 million should urgently be set aside for the acquisition and installation of a new control system for traffic lights in the city.
The committee said at least $30 million should be made available before the end of this year while the remaining $70 million should be included in the 2000 budget.
The control system in the city experiencing constant breakdowns and is no longer reliable. Non-functional traffic lights have resulted in accidents and it feared that more lives could be lost if nothing was done to urgently improve the situation.
“The project relating to the acquisition and installation of a new traffic signals system at an estimated total cost of $100 million should be approved,” recommended the finance committee on October 27.
The director of works was, however, instructed not to go to tender until he checked and ascertained with the city treasurer that cash was available for the project.
Because the present system is no longer reliable, the committee also recommended that the city should enlist the services of the police during peak hours in case of breakdowns.
Serious problems have been experienced at some intersections that remained uncontrolled after the traffic lights had failed. There are 197 traffic lights in the city, with 67 within the central business district and the remaining 130 in residential and industrial areas.
Traffic lights within the central business district were controlled using the Siemens traffic lights system that was installed by Siemens (Germany) in 1987. The system has a recommended life span of 15 years and has already served 12. When the system was installed, Siemens was to carry out all repairs free of charge with the council meeting transport costs only. The free maintenance period is now over and the council is finding it difficult to raise funds for the repairs.
Lessons for today:
- The passage emphasizes the importance of proactive infrastructure planning and timely investment in public safety systems. It shows that delaying upgrades to critical urban infrastructure, such as traffic signal systems, can lead to reliability issues, accidents, and potential loss of life.
- Financial planning must align with technical needs, ensuring funds are allocated before tendering begins. It also highlights the need for contingency measures like involving police during peak hours to maintain safety when systems fail.
- Cities must prioritise preventive maintenance, budget adequately for essential upgrades, and act swiftly to avoid costly and dangerous breakdowns.
