Ward 94 councillor David Foley has appealed for urgent intervention from provincial transport authorities following a series of incidents he said highlight the growing danger posed by non-functioning traffic signals across the area.

In a letter addressed to provincial officials and copied to the Gauteng MEC for Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, Foley described the situation as an emergency requiring immediate action.

Read more: Rise Mzansi mayoral candidate meets with Fourways taxi operators to hammer out solution

His concerns come after a pedestrian was killed on July 2 at the intersection of Winnie Mandela Drive and Robert Bruce Road when, according to Foley, a taxi driver drove through the intersection.

He also pointed to another crash at the intersection of Lonehill Boulevard and Main Road.

Foley said the continued failure of traffic signals has resulted in severe congestion, frustrated motorists and mounting economic costs.

“Traffic congestion on the roads with all the traffic signals not working is an absolute disaster, with tempers flaring and the economy being impacted.”

He added that businesses in the area are also feeling the effects, with motorists experiencing lengthy delays to travel short distances.

“Businesses in the area are feeling the impact with massive delays to go just three kilometres down Cedar Road.”

Also read: Councillor questions roads agency over Sunninghill traffic light installation

Foley also raised concerns about the limited presence of traffic officers at busy intersections during peak periods, saying more support is needed while repairs are carried out.

Foley questioned why residents should have to repeatedly demand what he described as a basic municipal service.

“Working traffic lights are the basic needs of traffic flow and of reaching your destination in a favourable timeline.”

He argued that authorities should have planned if they had known the Johannesburg Roads Agency’s traffic signal maintenance contract was ending.

Also read: Authorities confirm crash pattern along Cedar Road

“If the contract with JRA was coming to an end, pre-planning and proactiveness should have been the order of the day so that a three-month adjudication period was part of the timeline, with new contractors being appointed to ensure business continuity the next day after the contract ended.”

He called for accountability, saying the delays are affecting thousands of residents every day.

“We cannot function like this. Someone needs to be held accountable for the thousands of residents it impacts every day.”

Foley has requested urgent repair dates for each affected intersection so that the information can be shared with residents, saying the situation can no longer be allowed to continue.

Foley has documented about 18 traffic lights that are out of order and need repairs.

Douglasdale Police Station commander Brigadier Veeshani Arikum confirmed the pedestrian accident.

When we reached out for comment, the provincial roads department acknowledged the receipt of our media query, but had not responded at the time of publishing.

Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates!