South Africa: Gauteng Government Monitoring Impact of Weather On Road Infrastructure

Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela has directed the department and its entities to ramp up monitoring of the impact of the prevailing inclement weather conditions on the province's transport infrastructure and services.

The province has experienced continuous downpours, with rising potential flooding in some areas since the start of this week.

"The safety of the people of Gauteng remains our priority. We are closely monitoring the transport network and have activated our response mechanisms to deal with weather-related incidents.

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"I have directed our teams to respond with urgency and to ensure that infrastructure faults are followed through until they are resolved," the MEC said.

Maintenance and response teams are on standby to respond to any incidents of flooding, damaged road surfaces, drainage problems and other weather-related hazards.

Motorists are also urged to reduce speed, drive with caution and increase following distances.

Motorists are also warned to avoid crossing bridges and flooded roads, as they may present danger.

"We appeal to motorists to exercise caution and not take unnecessary risks. Where traffic signals or other critical infrastructure are affected, our technical teams are expected to respond as quickly as conditions allow," Diale-Tlabela said.

Contractors are currently assessing and implementing repairs to dysfunctional streetlights across provincial corridors.

Furthermore, any disruptions to Gautrain services as a result of the inclement weather are also being monitored.

"We are aware of the concerns regarding dysfunctional street lighting, including along the R24. Assessments and repairs are underway across the affected corridors. We expect our contractors to deliver on their obligations and will continue to monitor their performance to ensure that the necessary work is undertaken.

"Public transport is essential to the functioning of our province. We are engaging the relevant structures to ensure that weather-related disruptions are managed effectively and that commuters receive timely and accurate information," she said.

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