/ 22 May 2007

Traffic system affected by Gauteng power failure

A power failure in Gauteng’s Midrand area on Tuesday disrupted the new electronic national traffic information system (eNaTIS) at some testing stations, the Transport Department said.

Spokesperson Collen Msibi said generators kicked in immediately after the power failure in the morning. ”When power was restored around 12.30pm, the system in a few testing stations, including Randburg, was affected. We are working on the technical problems, which will be solved before the end of the day,” he said.

He said eNaTIS did not go down. ”Although the system is centralised, the problem didn’t affect the entire country because generators kicked in immediately after the power failure.”

The new service is electronic, and traffic-related transactions can be done through automated teller machines and the internet.

Backlogs, technical glitches and shaky, slow systems have been reported at testing stations around the country since eNaTIS was introduced last month.

City Power spokesperson Louis Pieterse said there had been power outages in Midrand, Auckland Park and Mayfair on Tuesday. ”It was caused by a cable fault in some substations,” he said.

Johannesburg’s Westdene suburb was also without electricity on Monday night, following earlier outages in other areas. Earlier on Monday evening, Dainfern and Alexandra were left cold and dark due to overloading. Braamfontein in central Johannesburg was also left powerless for reasons still to be established, said Pieterse.

The electricity supply was restored to these areas, he said. — Sapa