WATCH: Update: Voortrekker and Newmarket traffic lights are working again
After a long period of outages, Alberton residents are finally seeing action. Traffic lights at Newmarket intersection and Voortrekker Road are now working again, following intervention by the local councillor Tim Denny and MPL Evert du Plessis hope that more intersections will soon be restored.
Traffic lights at Voortrekker and Newmarket intersection are finally operational after being out of service, sparking relief among residents and renewed debated over accountability for service delivery failures on major roads.
The light repairs took place six days after the Alberton Record published an article detailing MPL Evert du Plessis’ visit to Alberton, where he met with ward 106 councillor Tim Denny to address the ongoing issue of non-functional traffic lights at key intersections.
Denny invited Du Plessis, a member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Transport and Logistics Committee to inspect the situation firsthand.
Their visit on June 20 took place on Voortrekker, where several traffic lights were also out at the time.
WATCH: Provincial official steps in as traffic chaos worsens in Alberton
Denny pointed out multiple intersections across Alberton experiencing ongoing outages.
According to Denny, seven sets of traffic lights were off at the R59 off-ramp onto Swartkoppies Road, four sets on Voortrekker Road where it crosses the N12, and three more at Nelson Mandela Avenue and Swartkoppies Road.
“I motivated and pressured the province to take action through phone calls, emails, and requests to the legislature,” said Denny. “The current system for reporting provincial road issues is flawed and inaccessible. Unlike the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE), the province has no reporting app or platform, and residents must go to provincial offices that are often far from where they live.”
He added that the repairs at Newmakert and Voortrekker Road are only the beginning, and that more traffic lights at key intersections are scheduled to be fixed in the coming days.
WATCH: This video was taken on Voortrekker Road on July 9, 2025.
@albertonrecordAfter a long period of outages, Alberton residents are finally seeing action. Traffic lights at Newmarket intersection and Voortrekker Road are now working again, following intervention by the local councillor Tim Denny and MPL Evert du Plessis hope that more intersections will soon be restored. This video was taken on Voortrekker Road on July 9, 2025.
Denny praised the Alberton Roads and Transport Department, Denny praised Alberton Roads and Transport Department, noting that though the intersections in question fall under provincial jurisdiction, they escalated the issue multiple times and played a role in pushing for resolution.
The city has also responded to growing public concern and criticism from residents over where responsibility lies.
In a letter to the Alberton Record, Brackenhurst resident Walter Ewart wrote:
“The traffic lights on Swartkoppies and other main intersections in Alberton were erected by the then municipality, which maintained them and coordinated them.
“The local authority receives all traffic light fines and related income in terms of the Road Traffic and Finance Amendment Act, whether on provincial or municipal roads. Where has the money gone? The city needs to accept its responsibility instead of trying to pass the buck. Possibly a fund needs to be established to do repairs ourselves.”
In response to this, CoE spokesperson Zweli Dlamini stated: “The city notes and respects the views of the resident. Traffic lights are critical for the safety of motorists and communities, and we will continue to do our best to fix them. For those not under our control, we escalate them to the province.
“Revenue generated by the city gets allocated across many functions in line with IDP and budgeting processes.”
While they welcomed the repairs at Voortrekker and Newmarket, residents say many issues remain unresolved.
Denny cited the tunnel lights along the N12 or R59, which were out for five months, and the Reading Interchange, where serious crashes occur weekly, as examples of delayed maintenance and lack of warning signage.
“Where is the signage warning motorists that they are entering a high-accident zone?” Denny asked.
Despite the criticism, some residents expressed appreciation for the repair work.
“It was a pleasure to make a turn at the intersection yesterday and not having to fight, swear and carry on like a hooligan to get over to turn,” said Albert Rust, a resident who uses the road daily.
WATCH: Taxi and bakkie collide on Swartkoppies off-ramp, causing traffic delays
