Gauteng transport network placed on heightened weather alert

Gauteng’s Department of Roads and Transport has stepped up monitoring of the province’s transport infrastructure and services as persistent heavy rain raises the risk of flooding.

MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela has instructed the department and its entities to respond urgently to weather-related incidents, including flooding, damaged road surfaces, drainage problems and other hazards.

Maintenance and response teams have been placed on standby, with officials expected to follow infrastructure faults through until they are resolved.

Diale-Tlabela urged motorists to reduce their speed, increase following distances and avoid crossing flooded roads and bridges, warning that these could become dangerous. The department is also monitoring the impact of the weather on traffic signals and other critical infrastructure, while contractors assess and repair dysfunctional streetlights along provincial corridors.

The R24 is among the routes where street-lighting concerns are being addressed, with the MEC saying contractors were expected to meet their obligations.

Gautrain services are also being monitored for weather-related disruptions.

“Public transport is essential to the functioning of our province,” Diale-Tlabela said, adding that the department was engaging relevant structures to manage disruptions and provide commuters with timely information.