(Traffic) lights-out for Gauteng

A surge in vandalism and theft targeting traffic lights in Gauteng has cost the province’s Department of Roads and Transport over R30 million in 2023 alone – with local governments digging even deeper into their pockets.

According to the department, over 400 of the province’s signalised traffic intersections had been vandalised in the last year, posing a “threat to public safety,” and leading to “substantial costs for the Department in rebuilding and replacing stolen equipment.”

Rebuilding an intersection, on average, costs the department between R900,000 and R1.5 million.

“Notably, high-profile intersections such as Hendrik Potgieter and Christiaan De Wet are repeatedly vandalised shortly after repairs, incurring costs exceeding R500,000 per repair,” said the department.

“The criminal activities surrounding these incidents are inflicting economic losses on the province, with replacement and repair costs reaching millions,” the department added.

In various areas across Gauteng, a temporary measure of ceasing repairs by converting signalised intersections into four-way stops has occurred.

As much as the province has been hard hit, local governments have been hit even harder.

Looking at two municipalities in Gauteng for example, the City of Ekurhuleni had said that it had spent around R120 million fixing and replacing traffic lights over one financial year. 

Not unlike the approach the provincial government has taken, Ekurhuleni decided that damaged traffic lights would be replaced with stop signs due to limited funds, with some remaining as stop signs indefinitely.

Additionally, the Johannesburg Roads Authority (JRA) has reported that City of Johannesburg has spent more than R65 million over the past four years to fix traffic lights that are broken or malfunctioning due to theft, vandalism and car crashes.

Recently, the JRA has said that it needs approximately R5.7 million to address the repair of vandalised traffic lights, a situation exacerbated by cable theft leading to power failures. “We have a backlog now in terms of theft and vandalism of about 200 signal intersections, that’s 10% of our total population of traffic lights,” said Sipho Nhlapo of the JRA.

This call may be with baited breath, as it comes at a time where the municipality is looking to tighten its wallet amid financial constraints.

Read: The City of Joburg’s hefty bill to fix roads hit by gas explosion