Johannesburg – The City of Johannesburg has appointed 200 traffic wardens to ease traffic and the grumbling of motorists at congestion caused by power cuts that black out traffic lights.
After a Christmas lull, rolling blackouts caused by a shortfall in energy production have returned to vex South Africans in recent weeks, with the power off for a few hours every day.
Ordinarily, when stop lights go out the police step in.
But the situation, worsened by vandalism and heavy rains, has “called for more manpower,” Johannesburg police spokesman Xolani Fihla, told AFP on Tuesday.
The force received more than 100,000 applications to fill the vacancies, he said.
Some came from the army of destitute people who have long been doing the job informally, stepping in to direct traffic at busy junctions in exchange for a few bucks from passing drivers.
The new “pointsmen” started working last week upon receiving some training which will continue “on the job”, Fihla said.
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Source: AFP
Picture: X/@JoburgMPD
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