New type of traffic lights on the cards for South Africa
A pilot project using new traffic signals that only use white in Cape Town has shown promising results for a new type of traffic light in South Africa.
In May 2022, Cape Town initiated a groundbreaking change in traffic signalling at select intersections in Table View, introducing a specialised set of traffic signals to enhance safety and reduce confusion.
This pilot project aimed to differentiate the right of way for MyCiTi buses from general vehicular traffic, with the goal of reducing accidents caused by misinterpreted signals.
The new traffic lights mark a significant shift from traditional signals, using only a white light to indicate when a MyCiTi bus has the right of way, departing from the standard red, amber, and green signals.
This design choice, inspired by international best practices, addresses a common issue: conventional traffic lights intended for buses are often mistakenly interpreted by private vehicle drivers, leading to accidents.
By using a unique colour code, the City aims to prevent these potentially hazardous misunderstandings.
In March 2024, nearly two years after the pilot began, the City of Cape Town shared promising results, announcing that the new signalling system had significantly improved road safety.
The City expressed its ambition to add this signal type to the South African Road Traffic Signs Manual, potentially paving the way for broader adoption by other municipalities across the country.
To gauge the impact of the signals, the City conducted post-implementation studies involving traffic monitoring and surveys.
Videos recorded at pilot intersections were analysed to assess the frequency of conflicts, particularly instances where private vehicles turned across bus lanes.
Results showed a measurable decline in risky vehicle movements: at intersections with the new bus signals, only 19% of private vehicles made potentially dangerous turns, compared to 25% at intersections with traditional lights.
Additionally, surveys gathered feedback from various road users, including pedestrians, bus drivers, and private vehicle operators, to gauge understanding and perception of the new signals.
The majority reported that the signals were clear, with MyCiTi bus drivers especially appreciating the improved clarity.
However, the effectiveness of the new signals for pedestrians was harder to evaluate.
As noted by Councillor Rob Quintas, Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, pedestrians tend to navigate based on available gaps in traffic rather than waiting for signals, complicating the assessment of pedestrian safety outcomes.
Encouraged by these positive findings, the City of Cape Town is moving ahead with plans to expand the new signal system across more MyCiTi routes within the metro.
This rollout will cover existing bus lanes and include future MyCiTi developments as the city’s public transport infrastructure grows.
Quintas confirmed that the National Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy, has approved extending the pilot program to the broader Cape Town area. The city hopes this will contribute to safer road experiences for all users.
However, despite Cape Town’s success, other municipalities across South Africa have shown limited interest in adopting this innovative traffic signaling approach.
The rollout of such projects often requires approval from the National Department of Transport, adding another layer of complexity to potential expansion efforts.
When approached about the prospects of expanding this project to other metros, the Department of Transport did not respond to questions, leaving open the question of whether other cities might follow Cape Town’s lead.
The implementation of specialised bus traffic lights, however, faces some substantial hurdles before it could see wider adoption.
Infrastructure funding remains a primary barrier, as municipalities already face significant budget constraints.
Ensuring that these specialised traffic lights are adequately maintained and protected is another challenge; vandalism and theft of public infrastructure are persistent issues in South Africa, and the risk of damage to the new signal system is a realistic concern.
These factors complicate the potential expansion of Cape Town’s initiative, highlighting that broader deployment would require both financial commitment and safeguards to protect the infrastructure.
Cape Town’s pilot program represents an ambitious step toward modernising traffic management in South Africa, setting an example that, if successful in the long term, could inspire similar approaches elsewhere.
The project’s outcomes will be closely watched, particularly as the city expands these signals to new areas within its jurisdiction, possibly paving the way for other municipalities to reconsider their road safety strategies.
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