E-toll debt bites into traffic light repair budget
This looming crisis threatens the safety and mobility of millions of road users across the province, including key urban areas such as Pretoria.
'This will affect the whole of the province,' warned Evert du Plessis, DA Gauteng spokesperson for Roads and Transport. 'There are traffic lights that belong to and are maintained by the province in every metro and municipality. Pretoria will definitely be affected as well.'
The budget shortfall was revealed during a recent Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) Transport, Roads, and Logistics Committee meeting.
Committee members were told that the allocated funds will be exhausted before the end of July, just three months into the financial year.
In Pretoria, provincial roads, designated by the letter 'R', crisscross the city and act as vital connectors between suburbs and national routes.
These include major corridors like the R55 and connecting streets, where intersections often depend on traffic signals to regulate the complex flow of daily commuters.
The problem is exacerbated by the fact that provincial roads often intersect with national (Sanral) and municipal roads, creating shared responsibilities between all three spheres of government.
'We don't have a specific list for dysfunctional traffic lights on Tshwane's provincial roads as it changes on a daily basis,' explained Du Plessis.
'There are, however, a substantial number of provincial and national roads that cross metro boundaries. So all three tiers of government must take responsibility for their own infrastructure.'
However, without a functional maintenance budget, Gauteng's provincial authorities will soon no longer be able to service their share of these intersections.
Du Plessis said this shortfall is more than just an administrative hiccup.
'Non-functioning traffic lights pose a real threat to public safety, placing motorists and pedestrians at risk of collisions, violent crime at intersections, and delays that disrupt the daily routines of workers, parents, and emergency services.
'For the remaining nine months of the year, motorists could be stuck in gridlock, relying on pointsmen instead of functioning systems to reach their destinations,' he said.
The DA has linked the budget collapse to Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi's decision to commit provincial funds to paying off e-toll debt, an obligation the province was never legally bound to.
Lesufi said on March 18 that the Gauteng government will absorb the e-toll debt and will continue to service it.
He also confirmed that the provincial government has gone to the Development Bank of Southern Africa for a loan to be able to service the shortfall on e-tolls.
The total e-toll debt that the provincial government has to pay back is more than R20-billion.
This includes R12.9-billion for the historical debt, R4-billion for interest, and R4-billion for maintenance.
The government has agreed to repay this debt in five equal annual instalments, with the first payment of R3.8-billion being made on September 30, 2024.
'This is another example of service delivery money being squashed by an irrational political commitment,' said Du Plessis.
The party has called on Gauteng MEC for Roads, Transport and Logistics, Kedibone Diale-Thabela, and the head of the department, Thulani Mdadane, to urgently redirect funding and prevent a province-wide gridlock.
'New technology and the assistance of law enforcement would also go a long way to address this ever-escalating problem,' he added.
The DA pledged to continue pressing the issue in the GPL, demanding answers and accountability from the ANC-led provincial government.
'A DA-led Gauteng government would not allow residents to be placed in such dangerous or frustrating situations,' he said.
'We will prioritise funding for traffic lights as a matter of extreme urgency to ensure the safety and well-being of all road users in Gauteng.'
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