15 traffic lights along a top South African city road have been out for three years

15 traffic lights along Vereeniging Road in Alberton, Ekurhuleni, have been out for three years, endangering motorists’ lives and causing traffic delays.

The Vereeniging and Potgieter Road intersection is used by businesses operating from the Alrode Industrial Park to transport goods to other parts of the province.

It is one of many intersections in the area with non-functional traffic lights. This has resulted in many accidents and daily congestion.

Gauteng Provincial Legislature member Evert Du Plessis said that the situation in which traffic lights have not functioned for three years is unacceptable.

He has called on the MEC for Roads and Logistics, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, to fix all traffic lights in the province as a matter of urgency.

Du Plessis explained that Diale-Tlabela has replied to questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature on the maintenance budget for traffic lights.

She said that R79 million has been allocated for the current financial year, which is insufficient because of numerous incidents of vandalism and cable theft.

“This means that the department must prioritise allocating sufficient budget for traffic lights maintenance,” said Du Plessis.

He said a good starting point is to conduct regular assessments of all traffic lights on Gauteng’s provincial roads to determine how many are not functioning.

“This will ensure that traffic lights are fixed within the seven-day standard. An adequate budget must also be allocated for traffic light maintenance,” he said.

“Gauteng road users and businesses deserve a government committed to maintaining key infrastructure, such as traffic lights.”

“It is time to stop the chaos and start delivering services to all residents. This is not a privilege. Residents pay rates and taxes for services.”

Government department fails to fix traffic lights

The Gauteng Department of Roads and Logistics has admitted that it has failed to meet its own minimum standards for traffic signal repairs.

Diale-Tlabela said the department had failed to repair five high-risk intersections within its own targeted timeframe of one to seven days.

All five intersections are located in Ekurhuleni and have been out of commission for over a year and a half, with some dating back to November 2024.

This includes two intersections on the R23, with one on Great North Road in Benoni and another on High Road in the Kempton Park suburb of Pomona.

The Atlas Road intersection on the M43 has been non-operational since January 2025, and the Pomona Road intersection has been non-operational since February 2025.

Traffic signals at the 3rd Avenue intersection on the M32, also situated in Pomona, have been out since March of last year.

All five intersections have been classified as high-risk, meaning they are supposed to be attended to within 24 hours and repaired within seven days.

Diale-Tlabela blamed the delay in repairs on resource shortages within the department, despite the department receiving an annual budget of over R10 billion.

The MEC also said widespread vandalism and theft were the root cause of the department failing to meet its seven-day repair windows.

Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature Michael Waters said that while vandalism and theft were serious problems, they should not be used as a permanent excuse.

“Even more concerning is the MEC’s admission that the department lacks an inspection programme focused on traffic signals that have been non-operational for extended periods,” Waters said.

“This raises serious questions about the department’s maintenance planning, budget priorities, procurement processes, and monitoring of contractors.”

Waters has written to the Public Protector to investigate potential maladministration within the Gauteng Department of Roads and Logistics.