Private sector companies have stepped in to help Joburg’s metro police cope with traffic problems caused by the continuous power cuts and heavy rains.

On points duty in the city

THE Johannesburg metro police department has its hands full during the continuous power outages, trying to keep traffic flowing and preventing an increase in roads accidents.

And it has devised an operational plan to deal efficiently with congestion at road intersections during the frequent blackouts.

"The plan involves deploying officers at off-ramps along the freeways," says Superintendent Wayne Minnaar, the department's spokesperson.

Some 400 officers are stationed at off-ramps on the N1, N3 and M1 freeways and are directing traffic during the electricity cuts.

Although there are traffic officers deployed across Joburg, Edna Mamonyane, another metro police spokesperson, says the department cannot cover the entire city. Because of this staff shortage, the department is working with Talk Radio 702 and the insurance company, Outsurance.

The radio station has a traffic desk where members of the public provide information on the current traffic jams. Talk Radio 702 then passes this data on to the traffic free flow call centre, which dispatches people to the various intersections to do points duty. This call centre project is sponsored by Outsurance, which also sponsors the people who direct the traffic at the intersections.

The City's metro police department trains all the people who do the points duty. So far, some 70 people have undergone training.

Minnaar has been quoted in the media saying that metro police officers will continue to perform their core functions of enforcing traffic by-laws and crime prevention.

The department has a working relationship with Eskom, the national power utility, but it also gets information about power outages from the public through its hotline, 011 375 5911. Members of the public are urged to report power cuts on the hotline. They can also call the Talk Radio 702 traffic desk, on 011 506 3566, to report blackouts.

The country has experienced electricity cuts - or load shedding - since late in 2007; Eskom has said they will continue for the next five to seven years while it builds more power stations. High power demand has been blamed for the constant load shedding.

Eskom's load shedding schedule is available on its website or call 086 003 7566.

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