Well-informed thieves have stolen components – including SIM cards – from about 400 of Johannesburg’s high-tech robots over the past three months. These robots use the SIM cards, a modem and the GPRS system to send messages to a central control system when the traffic light malfunctions.
And thieves even resorted to cutting down several poles and tried selling these to scrap metal merchants.
Apparently the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) will have to spend about R9-million to replace the components stolen in the past three months. According to JRA spokesman Thulani Makhubela the stolen SIM cards have all been cancelled.
He says the JRA is working closely with the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department to solve these crimes as it appears only those robots that use the SIM technology were targeted by the thieves.
Thieves damaged none of the ordinary traffic lights in Johannesburg and this implies that they knew exactly which robots were equipped with the SIM technology.
Makhubela says that Johannesburg’s ratepayers are going to have to fork out millions to replace the damaged robots and adds that the city is now working with suppliers to come up with new technology to prevent similar thefts in the future.
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Do the people in the JRA not know that you can restrict a SIM card to data only and also point it to a single address thus even eliminating using the card for internet. The people who put this solution should foot the bill as it was not thought through. I have this in place for my company. - Jeff
If more attention is given to crime and not roadblocks this will not happen. - Johan
Why install technology in South African traffic lights? Especially to be informed about failures. Just publish a telephone number or a mail address where motorists can send the "failed" traffic lights to. NO COST to be informed. IF the system is required to synchronize etc, different story. - Adriaan Snyman
