News / Regional
Plumtree to install traffic lights
16 Jul 2014 at 06:56hrs | Views
PLUMTREE Municipality has embarked on a $90,000 project to install traffic lights in the border town to improve the safety of both motorists and pedestrians.
Acting town secretary, Elvis Maphosa, said they would put up robots at three intersections. So far, they have fitted traffic control signals at one intersection, but they are not yet functional.
Until last week, the town streets were free of traffic lights and most people seeking drivers' licences were flocking to the town from as far as Bulawayo as it was perceived easy to pass road tests.
Maphosa said Plumtree is a small town that gets crowded especially during holidays and month ends, hence the need to protect pedestrians and control the flow of traffic.
"We are targeting three intersections where we have realised that there is a huge traffic flow. Two spots are along the Bulawayo-Plumtree Border Highway. We will put up traffic lights at the Kingsway Road and Bulawayo-Border Highway intersection.
"The second spot is at Izimnyama Road and Bulawayo-Border Highway intersection close to Noczim Garage. We have already fitted some traffic lights at the Kingsway Road and Thekwane Road junction which is within the town. They have not started functioning yet as they are still at the testing stage," said Maphosa.
He said they embarked on the programme after realising that they could not allow traffic to continue passing along main roads unregulated. The local authority engaged Samela Investment Company to fit the traffic lights following a tender that invited firms with a technical knowhow to supply and fit the traffic lights.
Maphosa added that as part of the local authority's efforts to develop the town, they were rehabilitating collapsed sewer lines.
"We are currently rehabilitating 4,250 metres of sewer line courtesy of Unicef. They have supplied us with all the relevant pipes and man holes and we are providing manpower.
"We are doing this to stop cases of water pollution. The effluent from these collapsed sewer lines has been flowing into streams that feed into nearby dams which could pose a health hazard," he said.
Acting town secretary, Elvis Maphosa, said they would put up robots at three intersections. So far, they have fitted traffic control signals at one intersection, but they are not yet functional.
Until last week, the town streets were free of traffic lights and most people seeking drivers' licences were flocking to the town from as far as Bulawayo as it was perceived easy to pass road tests.
Maphosa said Plumtree is a small town that gets crowded especially during holidays and month ends, hence the need to protect pedestrians and control the flow of traffic.
"We are targeting three intersections where we have realised that there is a huge traffic flow. Two spots are along the Bulawayo-Plumtree Border Highway. We will put up traffic lights at the Kingsway Road and Bulawayo-Border Highway intersection.
"The second spot is at Izimnyama Road and Bulawayo-Border Highway intersection close to Noczim Garage. We have already fitted some traffic lights at the Kingsway Road and Thekwane Road junction which is within the town. They have not started functioning yet as they are still at the testing stage," said Maphosa.
He said they embarked on the programme after realising that they could not allow traffic to continue passing along main roads unregulated. The local authority engaged Samela Investment Company to fit the traffic lights following a tender that invited firms with a technical knowhow to supply and fit the traffic lights.
Maphosa added that as part of the local authority's efforts to develop the town, they were rehabilitating collapsed sewer lines.
"We are currently rehabilitating 4,250 metres of sewer line courtesy of Unicef. They have supplied us with all the relevant pipes and man holes and we are providing manpower.
"We are doing this to stop cases of water pollution. The effluent from these collapsed sewer lines has been flowing into streams that feed into nearby dams which could pose a health hazard," he said.
Source - chronicle
