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Traffic chaos – what has happened to the Outsurance people?
I understand that the contract with the Outsurance pointsmen has been cancelled. It is a pity that the Johannesburg Metro is not doing anything, if they are cancelling the contract, to replace those pointspeople. I had a nightmarish experience in the traffic, as did most people using William Nicol, on Monday 21 November 2011.
I covered 14 kilometres in 1 hour and 10 minutes, before heading back home. Heading back home for a few hours is one of the luxuries of having your own business, but I understand from some friends that it took them more than 2 hours to get to work, simply because two robots were out of order following all of the rain. That of course boggles the mind that they cannot come with waterproof robots and wiring for those robots, but if they cannot, having put two pointspeople at the areas it could have cut down the average person’s travelling by more than an hour. Multiply that by 30 000 or 40 000 people and the cost to the economy is evident. I don’t know why the project has been cancelled, but it worked pretty well, and if they are going to cancel it they at least need to replace it!
Posted by Michael de Broglio on Wednesday 30-Nov-11
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Comments
Amanda said:
on Monday 15-Feb-16 08:57 AM
The Traffic lights at Allandale and old Pta main are a
huge problem. Everybody is going through the red lights an
the traffic is gridlocked, this starts from seven in the morning, and get worse as the time goes on. It is extremely
dangerous.
Daniela said:
on Friday 02-Dec-11 02:30 PM
On my way to work this morning I drive through 2 intersections with Outsurance Pointsmen (one of the intersections having two pointsmen) and another intersection with a JMPD representative directing traffic... Bless his soul.
But then just yesterday it took me 35 minutes to travel about 800m because of TWO roadblocks less than 200m apart.
Our country, is most certainly, a special one.
Lizanne said:
on Friday 02-Dec-11 09:00 AM
I must say, i see Outsurance points men regularly in the West Rand. I also think it is outrageous though to have cancelled the contract for the Outsurance points men, it only causes chaos on the roads and more accidents because people don't know how to use a four way stop when the robots are out.
Corné Romer said:
on Wednesday 30-Nov-11 04:34 PM
It’s obviously a huge problem that the contract was cancelled.
Nicky said:
on Wednesday 30-Nov-11 02:50 PM
The Outsurance pointsment did a fantastic job-much better than JMPD.
What frustates me is that when JMPD officers are urgently needed to regulate traffic at broken robots, like on Friday when the traffic was so horrendous in the CBD, they're never there. Instead they spend all day sitting dilligently at speed traps.
Angelique said:
on Wednesday 30-Nov-11 12:57 PM
I must agree with Helen, not only are the helpful but their cheerfulness (if you can call it that) brightens up ones day. They make the traffic flow easier and its very helpful. The pointsmen definitely are needed and prevent accidents. I for one hate sitting in traffic, I hate cars being so close in such a situation. Drivers can get tired (me) and by ACCIDENT roll back especially if one has been sitting there for ages. Foot slips off the clutch and bam youve met someone by accident.
Government cancelled the contract so they can pocket from that money is my theory :-) They running out of money so perhaps they thought no one would notice if they cancel the contract :-) South Africa decides to go its own way.
Lorette said:
on Wednesday 30-Nov-11 11:02 AM
I am actually not surprised that the contract was cancelled. Why let something run smoothly in this country? Sooner or later they will realize that they made a mistake. Hopefully Outsurance will then renew the contract!!
Julie said:
on Wednesday 30-Nov-11 09:16 AM
That's absurd - I would replace all robots with stop signs or have people regulating traffic if it was at all possible. We left home very early in an attempt to avoid most of the traffic which, of course, helps a lot - but other people have kids they need to drop off at school. I dropped Ivan off at school before 6 in the morning at times and it absolutely broke my heart leaving him there - especially during winter. Surely to goodness (smile) something could be done regarding robots - it must be costing a fortune to keep fixing the damn things. I still need to bring it to someone's attention that trucks should be kept off roads during peak times - it works wonders in Bangkok. They simply are NOT allowed on the roads between certain hours - they queue until allowed on the roads. Traffic is a topic best avoided if you suffer certain health conditions.
Brenda said:
on Wednesday 30-Nov-11 09:11 AM
There is nothing more frustrating for a person that to sit in bumper to bumper traffic. Not only does it cause major delays but it is also extremely tiring for drivers to be sitting in the same position clutch in and clutch out for hours on end due to robots being out or even accidents on the roads.
I just cannot begin to try and understand why the Outsurance pointmen contract was not renewed. Just goes to show the type of mentality we have to deal with in the Metro Police Department, because surely they have to realize that this is problematic.
Alexis said:
on Wednesday 30-Nov-11 09:10 AM
It's all because the gov wants to control everything and make life as diddicult as possible for the people who stupidly voted for them.
They said that they want them to pay for the advertising that they are doing, and the if this does not happen then the employees that were doing this will be given new jobs, HA HA HA.
This country is so backwards.
As Trevor Noah says, the world is all going in one direction and being South Africa, we will be going over there in the opposite direction.
Lucretia said:
on Wednesday 30-Nov-11 09:08 AM
I cannot understand why this government insists on changing things that work - when are they ever going to learn, "if it aint broke, leave it". I travel down Jan Smuts and for the last week now, two robots have been out accross from the Zoo, don't ask me the names because that too no longer appears on roads. If we are not going to have pointsmen, because it costs, get the robots up and running. I think we are the only country thats lights go down after the rain. What next???
Ting said:
on Wednesday 30-Nov-11 08:39 AM
I agree. Not very clever to cancel such a helpful project and now the public must suffer.
Genevieve said:
on Wednesday 30-Nov-11 08:35 AM
There are still Outsurance Pointsmen on Jan Smuts. The robot by the Johannesburg Zoo has been out for the past few days and in the afternoons the Pointsment are situated there. I appreciate them so much, because my traffic (touch wood) has not been affected at all because of robots not working.
Sally said:
on Wednesday 30-Nov-11 08:29 AM
It is a pity that they cancelled the contract with Outsurance. The Outsurance Pointsmen did a great job. You cannot even compare the traffic when it is regulated by a Metro Police Officers and when it is done by Outsurance. I really think that they should reconsider.
Nicolle said:
on Wednesday 30-Nov-11 08:23 AM
Absolutely outrageous - why oh why would they cancel a contract which was beneficial to the people? It's frustrating because as mentioned the points men did an efficient job. Now you don't only have to contend with treating a robot as a 4-ways but it's likely that by the time you get there an accident has occurred which delays the traffic even more!
kaylene said:
on Wednesday 30-Nov-11 07:58 AM
What a pity it is that the contract is cancelled, maybe the people should start complaining and advise the Department that the porintsmen did a great job and they are wanted back.
Bernadette said:
on Wednesday 30-Nov-11 07:27 AM
They should have never cancelled it. They should have renewed the agreement when it expired in September, and now the pointsmen have been made peace officers.
Robyn said:
on Wednesday 30-Nov-11 07:15 AM
I agree. Yesterday most of the robots were out in Bruma on my way home. Chaos as well. The pointspeople help so much, I think I actually prefer them to having a robot. I would like to find out though why the Outsurance contract was cacelled.
Johannesburg based attorney specializing in personal injury matters including Road Accident Fund claims and medical negligence matters. My interests include golf, reading and the internet and the way it is constantly developing. I have a passion for life and a desire for less stress!
