Traffic signals: A problem not to be taken lightly

The section of the R25/P91 road running through Edenvale and Kempton Park has always been a dangerous stretch of road. The intersection of P91 and De Wickus Road is a known accident hotspot.

It hasn't helped that most traffic lights on this road are now dysfunctional. Many of the traffic light poles have been cut down by vandals. Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) officers are not quick to jump into these intersections to direct traffic. Rush-hour traffic has become more challenging than it should be because of the lack of traffic lights and EMPD support. The uncontrolled intersections have seen an increase in accidents and fatalities which is concerning for all residents.

The simple answer would be is to involve the Ward Councillors to address this issue with the Metro. Not so. The P91/R25 is maintained by the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) and not the Ekurhuleni Metro. This is where the problem starts. Ward Councillors can report the issue to GPG, but they don't have any real influence. The Gauteng Province Department of Roads and Transport is known to only respond on rare occasions. Word from inside the Metro is that their staff have the same issue of not being able to generate any sort of action by the Department. Residents have the option to mail trafficsignals@gauteng.gov.za . Aside from the useless automated reference number sent back, nothing happens. The informal feedback has been that there is no budget to repair the traffic lights and that vandalism is a deterrent to replacing them. Although vandalism is certainly an issue, it cannot be the be-all and end-all if lives are at risk. Finding a low cost alternative to take scrap value of stolen signals out of the equation is surely an option?

To be fair to GPG, I mailed the MEC responsible for the Department of Roads and Transport, Ms KD Tlabela, as well as the HOD, Dr T Mdadane, in September 2024 with a request for assistance and comment. Those emails included examples of my complaints as well as those of other citizens who forwarded the details to me. Keeping with their track record of not responding, nothing was forthcoming. The same email and supporting documents were mailed to the same two senior people within the Department on 27 January 2025, with the same lack of response. In desperation, I also forwarded the content to the Gauteng Hotline mail address and my final Hail Mary was to mail the Presidency mail address. It should be no surprise that those "hotline" mail addresses are nothing of the sort.

When you start hearing continuous excuses about the budget and being unable to repair infrastructure over more than one budget year, questions should be asked. As the Department of Roads and Transport has used the word "budget" in their rare responses, it should be incumbent on them to reveal their budget for traffic signals and how and where it has been spent. If there is no money to repair infrastructure, what have they done to balance what should now be a labour surplus being funded by the tax-payer? The alternative is that they are waiting for a tender to be approved to appoint a contractor. Where is the money?

So what we have is a Provincial Road/National Route that is dangerous to use with an unacceptable level of vehicle accidents as the intersections are not controlled. We also have a Provincial Department pleading poverty and not fulfilling its mandate. The issue with traffic signals is not unique to the P91. Zuurfontein Road, also a Provincial Road and the main thoroughfare between Tembisa and Isando, has had multiple traffic lights out of order for over a year. The infrastructure is all in place so potential vandalism should not be a deterrent to repairing them, whatever the fault is. The intersection of Zuurfontein and Oranjerivier Roads is a danger due to the complete disregard for the intersection. The biggest vehicle or bullbar reigns supreme.

The same can be said of Allandale Road. There are approximately six intersections where the traffic lights have been out of order for a very long time. At face value, the infrastructure is all there. What is preventing them from being switched back on? With the Department's refusal to communicate with the public, there will always be questions and theories. They are certainly not helping their own cause or credibility.

The final questions are the "what if?" questions. What if a bus-load of school children are killed in an accident at one of these uncontrolled intersections? What if a member of the blue-light brigade is killed under these circumstances? Who will the fingers be pointed at or will we need to wait for a pointless commission of inquiry to be established and then the findings hidden under a carpet?

I am stating the obvious by pointing out that there is no accountability in the Gauteng Province Department of Roads and Transport. Unfortunately, the same can be said of many Government, Provincial, and Metro departments. There are no apparent consequences for poor fiscal control or abysmal service delivery.

How do we end the complacency?

Ryan Jordan, Kempton Park

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