Please note that there are two categories of questions: General Questions and Common Complaints. Jump to the answer you’re after by clicking on the questions listed below. If you can’t find the answer you’re after, you can contact us and ask the team directly.

General Questions

How and when did the concept materialise?
Why was the initial launch unsuccessful?
How does the new project differ from the first one?
How are pointsmen recruited?
Who trains the pointsmen?
Where is the pointsmen service based?
What are some of the daily challenges the pointsmen face?
What motivates the pointsmen?
What are they paid?
Do all pointsmen have drivers’ licenses?
Do they have a common background?
What prompted OUTsurance to get involved?
How is the JMPD involved?
What hours do the pointsmen work?
What are the roles and responsibilities of the organisations involved?
What is the long-term vision?
How is Talk Radio 702 a part of it?
What are the numbers for the traffic desks?
Can we attend to every problem?
How do we communicate with the pointsmen?
Have any of them ever been knocked down?
What is our message to the public?

Common Complaints

Why don’t pointsmen work in the rain?
They are slowing the traffic down!
My route used to take us 15 minutes, but now takes 30 minutes because of the pointsmen!
My traveling time was doubled because the pointsmen usually working intersection X was not there this morning!

General questions

How and when did the concept materialise?

• Colleen Bekker, owner of Media³ (an advertising agency involved in unique brand sponsorships and radio advertising), brainstormed the concept of privatized pointsmen after sitting in unnecessary traffic on a daily basis.
• As the project grew, Media³ gave birth to ‘Traffic Freeflow’, an independent management company that runs the pointsmen service as a sole entity.
• In October 2004, the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) was approached and negotiations started.
• In September 2005, the first pointsmen service was launched.

Why was the initial launch unsuccessful?

• The difference between working in the safety of a training environment and actually controlling a busy intersection was greatly underestimated.
• The pointsmen weren’t trained to deal with the specific intersections that had been allocated to them.
• Trained pointsmen are supposed to work in partnership with Metro Police officers, but the project launch coincided with a JMPD strike and the new pointsmen had to operate independently.

How does the new project differ from the first one?

• Motorists were invited by Talk Radio 702 to nominate intersections where they thought pointsmen could help ease traffic congestion. From this information, intersections (or points) were re-evaluated and reorganised.
• After their first failed attempt at directing traffic on the roads, the pointsmen were sent back to the academy for further, extensive training, both generally and for specific intersections.
• Before taking over a “point”, the pointsmen will be partnered with an officer who has regularly worked that intersection and who is able to guide them in judging the difference in traffic flows, volumes and timings.
• Factors such as new developments, school holidays, roadworks and improvements change the flow of traffic and pointsmen are now made aware of such influencing factors.

How are pointsmen recruited?

• The initial intake were from CV's held at the Metro Departments. Subsequent CV's were submitted due to the exposure of the project.
• The pointsmen are profiled, criminal checked, assessed, interviewed and reference checked. 

Who trains the pointsmen?

• The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department Academy trains the Joburg region.
• The Cape Town Traffic Department trains the Pointsmen for the City of Cape Town.
• Premos Leadership and Management Academy train the Tshwane team. 

Where is the pointsmen service based?

• Joburg and Tshwane - The Traffic Freeflow head office and Operations Centre is based at offices just off Eastern Service Road in Kelvin (Midrand).
• Cape Town - currently based at the Cape Town Traffic Department in Greenpoint. 

What are some of the daily challenges the pointsmen face?

• Abusive motorists who refuse to obey their instructions.
• Early mornings. The pointsmen need to be up and about by 05h00 to ensure they’re at their points before 06h30.
• Late evenings. This too depends on the point location, but the majority of pointsmen will only get home at around 20h00.
• Extreme weather conditions – icy weather in winter and blistering heat and thundershowers in summer.

What motivates the pointsmen?

• Recognition through a smile or a wave from appreciative motorists.
• Earning a decent living.
• Growth within the project.
• Potential to move into the Metro/ Police/Traffic department.
• Pride in what they do, and in making a real difference.
• Positive feedback from motorists.

What are they paid?

• A rate jointly agreed between Traffic Freeflow/The City and the sponsor.

Do all pointsmen have drivers’ licenses?

• This is not a requirement for those working on the ground, although many of them have acquired their drivers’ licenses during the past year.
• This is obviously a must for the Mobile team – all these pointsmen have their licenses. This, in itself, has been a major achievement, as many of them had never even ridden a bicycle before. Their training started on bicycles, with the whole team then progressing onto motorcycles.

Do they have a common background?

• With the exception of the project managers, most staff are all young and previously unemployed.

What prompted OUTsurance to get involved?

• It’s an initiative that fits perfectly with the company’s vision of contributing by making the environment a safer place and to “Helping South Africa Out”.
• It creates employment.
• It truly assists the community by easing traffic congestion.
• It exposes the brand in targeted areas.

How is the JMPD involved?

• Policing/Law Enforcement/Crime Prevention are their priority, but their day-to-day involvement in the project is vital. They assist with every aspect of the project including:
• Identifying points that need assistance (together with the Regional Roads/ Transport Agencies)
• Training
• Logistical decisions
• Discipline

What hours do the pointsmen work?

• Between four to eight hours per day.
• The hours they work change throughout the seasons to accommodate the highest flow of traffic with the best available light. Visibility of the motorists, as well as the pointsmen, is critical to their safety. Consequently, in winter, shift times start later in the morning and end earlier than they would in summer.

What are the roles and responsibilities of the organisations involved?

• Recruitment and training:
  Joburg - JMPD and Traffic Freeflow
  Cape Town - Cape Town Traffic Department and Traffic Freeflow
  Tshwane - Tshwane Metro Police Department and Traffic Freeflow
• Day-to-day management:
  Joburg - Traffic Freeflow and the JMPD
  Cape Town - The Cape Town Traffic Department
  Tshwane - Traffic Freeflow and the Tshwane Metro Police Department
• Funding: OUTsurance as a headline sponsor and various other sponsors
• Media partners:
  Joburg and Tshwane - Talk Radio 702
  Cape Town - 94.5 KFM

What is the long-term vision?

• To have a national footprint.

How is Talk Radio 702 a part of it?

• Traffic reporting has always been an integral part of Talk Radio 702 and 94.5 KFM’s programming since listeners rely on accurate reporting to get them to their destinations quickly and safely.
• Listeners also play a vital role in this reporting since they call in problems on the road to the station, for inclusion in the reports.
• Talk Radio 702 and 94.5 KFM’s decision to become our media partner has great spin-offs for listeners, as the station is now able to be involved in dispatching Mobile pointsmen to problem areas (as highlighted by callers to the traffic desk), as opposed to merely reporting on the problems.
• Listeners will continue to report traffic problems using the existing infrastructure.
• These problem areas will be relayed to Traffic Freeflow which, depending on availability, will dispatch the necessary pointsmen to the area.
• Talk Radio 702 and 94.5 KFM will then provide status reports in its traffic updates on the reported problems.

What are the numbers for the traffic desks?

• Talk Radio 702 traffic desk: 011 506-3566 (for Johannesburg Pointsmen)
• Traffic Freeflow: 011 448-2345 or SMS 34399

Can we attend to every problem?

• No. While the numbers of pointsmen continues to grow with the success of the project, there are not enough to cover every potential intersection, particularly since the larger intersections often require two pointspeople.
• Once pointsmen have been dispatched to an intersection, it is difficult to move them within that shift. This means that the sooner we receive notification of problems at the bigger points, the sooner we’re able to attend to them.

How do we communicate with the pointsmen?

• Via cellphones.

Have any of them ever been knocked down?

• Yes, we have had six instances to date.

What is our message to the public?

• Please assist us in making this work by being patient, offering constructive criticism, positive feedback when earned, and by obeying the rules of the road and the instructions of the Pointsmen.

Common Complaints

Why don’t pointsmen work in the rain?

• The reduced visibility decreases the safety of both the motorists and the pointsmen.
• Slippery road conditions pose a serious hazard, again to both drivers and pointsmen.

They are slowing the traffic down!

• Inevitably, this is the case on main roads where pointsmen have been placed to allow side roads safe access to main roads. Of course, they will slow the traffic down, but they are there because, in many instances, people have died trying to get onto the main road!

My route used to take us 15 minutes, but now takes 30 minutes because of the pointsmen!

• This usually happens at intersections were the traffic lights need to be re-set to allow more timing for traffic approaching from the opposite direction. Don’t forget, though, that this also means that for every person that has to sit 15 minutes longer travelling in one direction, there is a person whose journey has been cut from 45 minutes to 30 minutes going the opposite way.
• We also work closely with the Road and Transport Agencies to ensure these traffic lights are re-set as soon as possible and the travelling time is equal for motorists going both ways.

My traveling time was doubled because the pointsmen usually working intersection X was not there this morning!

• There will be occasions when pointsmen aren’t able to make it to their posts. They, like us, have families, fall sick or face other circumstances that prevent them from getting to work (many rely on public transport, for example).

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