A dispute between government entities has forced the hands of transport officials.
MMC for Transport, Funzela Ngobeni, confirmed the official handover of traffic signals formerly maintained by Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) to the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport (GPDRT). The MMC confirmed on April 7 an agreement reached with GPDTR MEC Jacob Mamabolo to end JRA’s role of maintaining 231 major intersections within Johannesburg.
JRA has been responsible for the design, installation and repair of traffic signals along major routes since September 2017, an agreement that expired in August 2020. MMC Ngobeni claimed JRA had been continuing its service “… out of concern for motorists frustrated by continuous traffic jams on key intersections across the city, especially during peak hours”.
The decision, which has been described a ‘amicable’, has come about because the government entities have been unable to come to a new agreement due to a tax dispute. “The tax dispute between JRA and SARS is going through a legal process, with the agency’s legal team having issued a notification to SARS of its intention to refer the matter to Tax Court,” stated MMC Ngobeni in the announcement.
As of April 1, JRA had continued to attend to the 1 992 traffic signals still under its jurisdiction, yet it was not elaborated on how the tax dispute would affect their other operations.
“JRA had a discussion with SARS officials and we were requested to do an online application for a Tax Clearance Certificate on Friday, March 25. We are waiting for the outcome,” stated the MMC.
A soft handover between the two entities has taken place and as per the City’s asset registry, and the keys to the controller boxes and intersection design documents will be handed over this week. JRA’s municipal accounts will then be closed and GPDRT will open new accounts with City Power and Eskom. Many of the intersections affected were part of the January announcement and include all major intersections along:
– Beyers Naude Drive between Jim Fouche Road and Peter Road
– Hendrik Potgieter Road between Ontdekkers Road and Doreen Road
– Christiaan de Wet Road between Rooibok Avenue outside Clearwater Mall and Beyers Naude Drive, continuing all along Northumberland Ave and Witkoppen Road
– Randfontein Road throughout Roodepoort
Motorists who wish to report vandalised, non-functioning or dysfunctional JRA traffic signals should contact 0860 562 874 (0860 JOBURG) and select option 5.
