All you need to know about the OUTsurance Jacaranda FM Pointsmen
Thousands of Gauteng motorists rely on the assistance from a team of 232 mobile and static pointsmen to guide them through the chaos of morning and afternoon peak hour traffic.
How were the pointsmen recruited?
Initially the Alexandra Community Protection Forum had a team of individuals who had shown a strong commitment to community safety on a volunteer basis over a lengthy period. For the pilot project these individuals were screened, interviewed and selected by the Metro Police. Currently CVs are received on a daily basis.
As and when Traffic Freeflow requires additional staff, the CVs of candidates residing in the closest townships are reviewed, and candidates interviewed.
Residential location is key for static pointsmen as they rely on public transport to get them to and from their allocated intersections.
Who trains the pointsmen?
The relevant Metro Police Department provide the necessary Traffic Warden training to all new recruits.
Do all pointsmen have driver's licenses?
Mobile Team staff must have an A1 Motorcycle license. Static Team staff do not require any drivers license, butare encourage to take the opportunity to gain riding skills through our internal (and free) training program. This training begins with first learning how to ride a bicycle (the skill of balance, braking and turning a two wheel vehicle) and progressing through to hand-on motorcycle training. Upon successfully obtaining their licenses, staff are then eligible to apply for a Mobile Team position when they become available.
Why don't pointsmen work at intersections where the traffic lights are working as they do a better job to get the traffic flowing than when the traffic lights are on?
Firstly, to do so would be in contravention of the law, unless directed to do so by the relevant Metro Police Department. This is typical when working at special events and with police assistance.
Secondly, "over-riding" a traffic signal can be dangerous as motorists will tend to obey the traffic signal first, before they see the pointsmen (especially overhead traffic lights).
