1001 Smart Cities

Permanent project revision

Johannesburg's Traffic Signals: Remote Fault Monitoring and the Backup Batteries That Were Stolen

Revision 2026-10-11-baseline · effective 2026-10-11

Current revision. This is the snapshot used by the live entity page.

unreviewed

Created the first structured Evidence Passport with 12 claims and 9 source dossiers.

sha256:074b96f94835b67c5204e0aa5756781dadff208ab9db3ff3d66a7a905e1413cb
All revisions → Current entity page →

Change set

  • add /evidencePassport — Added claim-level evidence mapping and source dossiers.
  • add /revisionHistory — Established a permanent, hash-addressed baseline revision.
12
of 12 claims mapped
9
source dossiers
6
publication dates recorded
0
archives linked
0
exact locators
0
content captures hashed

Claims, one by one

The text below is copied verbatim from the published record. Each claim names the source dossiers that carry it; caveats stay attached to the claim they qualify.

Claim 1 clm-192a462120dc4c85 descriptive
The Johannesburg Roads Agency, wholly owned by the City, runs the city's traffic signals
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The agency's own 2021 statement says it is responsible for traffic lights in the City of Johannesburg and describes itself as a City-owned agency.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Johannesburg Roads Agency — The economic impact of theft and vandalism on traffic signals (17 Feb 2021)
Claim 2 clm-2a4481e3a6916430 quantitative
2,023 signalised intersections in January 2025; the province manages 275 more
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The City's January 2025 article puts the network at 2,023 signalised intersections; the Daily Maverick interview the same week adds that the province manages 275, mostly on major roads.
Caveat
The agency's own counts move between statements: 2,111 in its 2015 controller article, 2,300 in February 2021, 2,023 in January 2025 and 2,025 in July 2025.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. City of Johannesburg — JRA battles vandalism to keep Joburg traffic on the go (22 Jan 2025)
  2. Daily Maverick (Ferial Haffajee) — The real story of Joburg's dysfunctional robots (27 Jan 2025)
Claim 3 clm-c8a5fd7e68a8ba74 quantitative
In May 2014 it launched the Find&Fix app for GPS-tagged photo reports of dead signals
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The launch report records the official launch on 14 May 2014 at Microsoft's Bryanston office and the app's use of GPS and camera technology to report potholes, faulty traffic signals, drains and manhole covers.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Randburg Sun / The Citizen — Road agency launches mobile app (15 May 2014)
Claim 4 clm-0a27a44233eb885a quantitative
by 2016 was fitting Remote Monitoring Systems to its signal controllers
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
In March 2016 the trade press reported, quoting the acting managing director, that monitoring systems were being installed at intersections to detect faults and alert the Traffic Operations Centre; the agency's own controller-replacement article says the new controllers incorporate remote monitoring.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Freight News — Goodbye to flashing traffic lights? (25 Mar 2016)
  2. Johannesburg Roads Agency — JRA replaces old traffic light controller boxes
Claim 5 clm-9e7c24fc02f7b724 quantitative
by January 2025 it said these covered over 80% of controllers and caught over 90% of faults before the public noticed
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The City's article quotes the JRA that Remote Monitoring Systems are installed on more than 80% of its traffic light controllers and detect and report over 90% of faults before they become apparent to the public.
Caveat
Both percentages are the agency's own statement; no audit of the detection rate has been located.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. City of Johannesburg — JRA battles vandalism to keep Joburg traffic on the go (22 Jan 2025)
Claim 6 clm-bb5aa1d36e3341db quantitative
The agency put power-related outages at about 31% of lights at any time, 51% during load shedding
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
In the Daily Maverick interview the city's head of mobility says power-related issues affect about 31% of lights at any given time, rising to 51% during load shedding.
Caveat
The same interview says 80% of JRA-managed signals were working at any given time; the two measures are reported side by side here, not reconciled.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Daily Maverick (Ferial Haffajee) — The real story of Joburg's dysfunctional robots (27 Jan 2025)
Claim 7 clm-b98bdaeb454e7884 quantitative
of 1,400 backup batteries installed fewer than 15 still worked after theft
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The City's article states that of the 1,400 UPS units installed at critical intersections fewer than 15 remain operational and that efforts to bridge outages with UPS systems have been hampered by theft; the Daily Maverick interview repeats the figures.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. City of Johannesburg — JRA battles vandalism to keep Joburg traffic on the go (22 Jan 2025)
  2. Daily Maverick (Ferial Haffajee) — The real story of Joburg's dysfunctional robots (27 Jan 2025)
Claim 8 clm-b519e7b30b0b50c2 quantitative
79.49% of reported faulty traffic signals were repaired within 24 hours, 88.67% within 48 hours and 96.29% within seven days, against service standards of 40%, 60% and 80%
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Table 90 of the City's integrated annual report lists the JRA's 2024/25 service delivery standards and results for reported faulty traffic signals: 40% within 24 working hours (79.49% achieved), 60% within 48 hours (88.67%) and 80% within 168 hours (96.29%).
Caveat
The figures are the entity's own reporting as reproduced in the City's report; the 24-hour standard counts working hours.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. City of Johannesburg — Integrated Annual Report 2024/25 (Council version)
Claim 9 clm-51d4cc157d9d85c9 quantitative
the JRA told Daily Maverick in January 2025 that 80% of the signals it manages were working at any given time in the quarter to December 2024
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Asked whether 83% of its signals work at any given time on average, the agency answered that as of the second quarter ending December 2024 the number was slightly lower at 80%.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Daily Maverick (Ferial Haffajee) — The real story of Joburg's dysfunctional robots (27 Jan 2025)
Claim 10 clm-11c28b72fe3cdaca quantitative
the agency claimed in 2015 that the average time to resolve requests logged through Find&Fix had fallen to six days
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The City's 2015 article quotes the JRA managing director that over the preceding six months the average time to resolve service requests logged via Find&Fix had been reduced to six days.
Caveat
An operator claim; at launch in 2014 the agency had promised a response within 24 hours.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. City of Johannesburg — Find & Fix app finds favour with Jozi residents (2015)
Claim 11 clm-012e1b16c19c0988 quantitative
200 backup batteries installed in 2006, 1,400 units later and fewer than 15 working by 2025, a repair backlog above R70 million
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The agency's controller article says it installed 200 back-up batteries (UPS) in 2006 at key intersections; the City's January 2025 article says fewer than 15 of 1,400 UPS units remain operational and that the repair backlog from theft, vandalism and accidents exceeds R70 million.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Johannesburg Roads Agency — JRA replaces old traffic light controller boxes
  2. City of Johannesburg — JRA battles vandalism to keep Joburg traffic on the go (22 Jan 2025)
Claim 12 clm-2e1d74719b853e5b descriptive
a search for private firms to wire signals to their own backup power and for controller boxes with electronic locks and alarms
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The City's article says the JRA has partnered with over 40 companies to connect traffic signals near their buildings to backup power, with more than 80 intersections linked; the July 2025 media-tour report describes new controller boxes that open only by electronic access and raise alarms at the city's Integrated Intelligence Operations Centre.
Caveat
In July 2025 the agency said it was still testing the secured boxes and had not settled on a solution for citywide rollout.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. City of Johannesburg — JRA battles vandalism to keep Joburg traffic on the go (22 Jan 2025)
  2. Engineering News — Joburg testing technology to combat traffic light theft, vandalism (15 Jul 2025)

Source dossiers and revision state

This layer records what is known about each source, what is still missing, and the exact snapshot this page is rendering. A missing date, archive or hash stays visible as missing.

unreviewed Revision 2026-10-11-baseline effective 2026-10-11 · created 2026-10-11

Awaiting operator and domain-expert review; publication of this revision implies neither.

sha256:074b96f94835b67c5204e0aa5756781dadff208ab9db3ff3d66a7a905e1413cb
Revision history → Permanent version link → Machine-readable record → Evidence Constitution →
12
of 12 claims mapped
9
source dossiers
6
publication dates recorded
0
archives linked
0
exact locators
0
content captures hashed

Governance facts carried by the record

Operator
Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), a municipal entity wholly owned by the City of Johannesburg; the Gauteng provincial government manages a further 275 intersections on major roads
Actor types
city-government, regional-government, private
Funding model
mixed
Funding description
City of Johannesburg capital budget through the JRA; backup power at selected intersections funded and maintained by private partner companies (over 40 by January 2025)
Cost
R28 million on controllers and R40 million on cables over the three years to 2016 (JRA); repair backlog from theft, vandalism and accidents above R70 million (January 2025)
Ownership
Not recorded
Decision rights
Not recorded
Exit conditions
Not recorded

9 source dossiers

City of Johannesburg — Integrated Annual Report 2024/25 (Council version) joburg.org.za · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-e712495624a1fb5d
Publisher
Name not classified · joburg.org.za
Type / language
pdf · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-11
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

The City's integrated annual report for the year to 30 June 2025, approved by Council in January 2026. Table 90 (JRA service delivery standards, page 135) reports 79.49% of reported faulty traffic signals repaired within 24 working hours, 88.67% within 48 hours and 96.29% within 168 hours against standards of 40%, 60% and 80%; section 2.8 on smart city programmes rates the JRA's remote monitoring, LED lighting and UPS projects as moderate performers that spent 65–98% of their budgets.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
City of Johannesburg — JRA battles vandalism to keep Joburg traffic on the go (22 Jan 2025) joburg.org.za · 5 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-8c108d94b7047901
Publisher
Name not classified · joburg.org.za
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2025-01-22
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-11
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

City newsroom article quoting JRA chief executive Zweli Nyathi: 2,023 signalised intersections with over 16,000 poles and 2,023 controller boxes; Remote Monitoring Systems on more than 80% of controllers detecting over 90% of faults before the public notices; over 360 open cases of vandalism and theft; a repair backlog above R70 million; of 1,400 UPS units installed, fewer than 15 operational; over 40 partner companies and more than 80 intersections linked to private backup power.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Daily Maverick (Ferial Haffajee) — The real story of Joburg's dysfunctional robots (27 Jan 2025) dailymaverick.co.za · 4 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-c3700e3f06ef8547
Publisher
Name not classified · dailymaverick.co.za
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2025-01-27
Updated
2025-01-28
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-11
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Question-and-answer piece with the city's head of mobility Sipho Nhlapo. States that the JRA is responsible for 2,023 intersections while the province manages 275; that power-related issues affect about 31% of lights at any given time, rising to 51% during load shedding; that 80% of JRA-managed signals were working at any given time in the quarter to December 2024; that over 1,400 UPS boxes were installed and theft reduced the number to fewer than 15; and that a remote monitoring system reports faults to the agency's teams before the public notices.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Engineering News — Joburg testing technology to combat traffic light theft, vandalism (15 Jul 2025) engineeringnews.co.za · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-578f4e2824e1aaa3
Publisher
Name not classified · engineeringnews.co.za
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2025-07-15
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-11
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Report from a JRA media tour. States that the agency managed 2,025 traffic signal intersections, 750 of them semi vehicle-actuated and 25 fully actuated; that it is deploying secured controller boxes opened only by an electronic access system, with cameras and sensors whose alarms go to the city's Integrated Intelligence Operations Centre; that rebuilding a vandalised intersection costs R500,000 to R1.5 million; and that 84% of traffic signal faults were repaired within 24 to 48 hours. Quotes Sipho Nhlapo and traffic engineering operations manager Esther Schmidt.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Johannesburg Roads Agency — The economic impact of theft and vandalism on traffic signals (17 Feb 2021) jra.org.za · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-21b17eed92a43870
Publisher
Name not classified · jra.org.za
Type / language
pdf · language not classified
Published
2021-02-17
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-11
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

JRA media statement. States that the agency is responsible for traffic lights in the City of Johannesburg and is City-owned; that it managed 2,300 signalised intersections on municipal and provincial roads; that its Remote Monitoring System identifies faults so technicians can be dispatched before they are reported; that theft and vandalism cost over R37 million in three financial years and 196 intersections were vandalised in 2020/21; and lists the Find&Fix mobile app among its reporting channels.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Freight News — Goodbye to flashing traffic lights? (25 Mar 2016) freightnews.co.za · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-3dc1c30e080a0fab
Publisher
Name not classified · freightnews.co.za
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2016-03-25
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-11
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Trade-press report quoting the JRA's acting managing director Mpho Kau. States that remote monitoring systems were being installed at intersections to detect faults and alert the agency's Traffic Operations Centre, and that R28 million had been spent over three years replacing ageing controllers and R40 million replacing lead-encased cables.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Johannesburg Roads Agency — JRA replaces old traffic light controller boxes jra.org.za · 2 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-87f9c4a2bde16d35
Publisher
Name not classified · jra.org.za
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-11
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Undated JRA web article from the 2015 controller-replacement programme. States that the City's 2,111 traffic signals included about 600 controllers older than 15 years to be replaced by June 2015; that the new controllers incorporate remote monitoring and GPS clocks; and that in 2006 the agency installed 200 back-up batteries (UPS) giving up to seven hours of backup at key intersections, 50 of which were to be reinstated in heavy-duty cabinets.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Randburg Sun / The Citizen — Road agency launches mobile app (15 May 2014) citizen.co.za · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-b835fbc96f92f5b7
Publisher
Name not classified · citizen.co.za
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2014-05-15
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-11
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Local-press report of the launch. States that the JRA officially launched the Find and Fix app at Microsoft's Bryanston office on 14 May 2014 to report potholes, faulty traffic signals, storm water drains and manhole covers using GPS and camera technology, and attributes to the agency the claim that it was the first of its kind in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
City of Johannesburg — Find & Fix app finds favour with Jozi residents (2015) joburg.org.za · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-411a9bbcb292bea8
Publisher
Name not classified · joburg.org.za
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-11
Dossier created
2026-10-11
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

City newsroom article; the page shows no date and places itself in 2015 by referring to the launch in May of the previous year. States that 13,000 residents were using the app, that logged breakdowns averaged 5,000 a month and almost 28,000 in total, and quotes managing director Skhumbuzo Macozoma that the average time to resolve requests logged via Find&Fix had been reduced to six days over the preceding six months.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Known limits of this file
  • Publisher names and source languages have not yet been classified; domains are recorded without guessing.
  • Existing source notes are descriptive locators, not page- or paragraph-exact citations.
  • A missing archive, publication date or content hash is shown as null rather than inferred.
  • The project-level evidence grade ranks the strongest source in the entry; it is not a truth score for every claim.