The Tshwane metro is working towards having 226 arterial roads across its seven regions fully illuminated by the end of December as part of its seasonal safety drive.

MMC for Utility Services Frans Boshielo explained that this initiative is part of the Arterial Roads #SwitchOnTshwane programme, which began on November 18.

The initiative aims to improve visibility and enhance safety on the city’s roads during the holiday season when travel volumes traditionally increase.

Boshielo noted that the programme is supported by the Energy and Electricity Business Unit, which was established in July this year.

“Since its inception, the Distribution, Maintenance, and Operations division of [the] unit has achieved significant milestones in repairing streetlights and improving illumination across Tshwane.

“A total of 20 341 streetlights have been repaired citywide since the business unit was established. This represents a major improvement in lighting levels, directly enhancing community safety and urban visibility,” he said.

He added that these repairs demonstrate the unit’s commitment to restoring lighting in areas where prolonged outages had created safety concerns.

The metro’s capacity to deliver these improvements has been strengthened by the procurement of new resources.

“We commissioned 50 new cherry picker trucks to enhance operational efficiency in streetlight maintenance,” he said.

Boshielo said these trucks have been distributed equitably across all seven regions to ensure improved turnaround times when responding to customer complaints.

He said the intention is for each region to operate at the same level of readiness and service efficiency.

Recent restoration figures provided by the MMC highlight each region’s contribution to the overall total.

Region 1 recorded 3 088 streetlights restored, while Region 2 saw 2 834 restored.

Region 3 had 8 446 streetlights fixed, Region 4 reported 2 444, and Region 5 had 1 214 streetlights restored.

“In Region 6, 895 streetlights were fixed, and Region 7 saw 1 420 streetlights repaired, bringing the combined total to 20 341.”

Boshielo said these numbers illustrate how the division has been addressing long-standing streetlight faults across numerous wards, suburbs, and townships.

He emphasised that this progress demonstrates a clear commitment to community safety and service excellence, aligning with the city’s broader goal of creating safer, well-lit public spaces.

He added that the metro views these improvements as a reflection of the multi-party coalition government’s focus on infrastructure development and accelerated service delivery.

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