Gauteng is planning a massive overhaul of its transport infrastructure, including fixes to its traffic lights and potholes, and its future plans for the Gautrain network.
The Gauteng Provincial Government held its annual Budget Speech yesterday, 18 March 2025, where it reaffirmed its commitment to fix the many issues plaguing local commuters.
The Budget Speech highlighted that the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport has been allocated a total of R9.7 billion for the 2025/2026 period, and a greater R28 billion over the next few years as part of the province’s 2025 Medium Term Expenditure Framework.
This funding is primarily intended “for the provision of a safe, reliable and affordable integrated transport system that enables equitable access to opportunities and enhances the quality of life for the people of Gauteng,” according to the GPG.
The goals expressed in the Budget Speech echo what was previously said by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi during his State of the Province Address (SOPA) back in February, where he identified 13 major problems affecting local residents.
Potholes
During his 2025 SOPA speech, Lesufi explained that potholes were “problem number four” on his list of issues that had been identified.
In response, the province’s various municipalities are now working to resurface and upgrade five major routes that have been earmarked as areas of concern, including:
- Golden Highway
- Garsfontein Road
- Malibongwe Drive
- K101 Olifantsfontein Road
- D1814 Bronkhorstspruit Road
In addition to these routes, the province is also attending to key interchanges in both Pretoria and Joburg, according to the Premier.
Other projects have already been completed, such as the resurfacing of 40 roads in the Sedibeng and Vaal districts, as well as Allandale Road in Midrand.
With help from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the Gauteng government is continuing to map and identify potholes in the province, and repairs are provincial roads in the near future.
Lesufi added that the Gauteng government will also establish a pothole repair hotline through which road users can report these hazards to local municipalities.
“We are now establishing a 72-hour pothole repair line which will work with local government to ensure that all potholes that have been reported through this particular line can be repaired within 72 hours,” he said.
Traffic lights
Another area of concern is the province’s traffic lights – many of which are currently out of order.
It is estimated that there are at least 400 broken signals in Gauteng, and many of these were damaged through vandalism and theft or car accidents.
This led Lesufi to call drivers to “stop kissing traffic lights” in reference to the high number of cases of motorists colliding with road infrastructure.
The problem has reached a point where the City of Johannesburg is now spending R12 billion per year to fix its broken robots.
As a result, the CoJ now plans to recoup costs from residents who damage its infrastructure, whether intentionally or as an accident.
Gautrain
The Budget Speech confirmed that Gauteng is still planning to expand its Gautrain network, including an ambitious project to build a new line to Limpopo.
The current Gautrain Concession Agreement between the Gauteng Province and the Concession Company will expire in March 2026, after which the province expects that the Gautrain service will be a fully paid-up asset valued at R45 billion.
“The post-2026 Gautrain will be procured via a public-private partnership. We are currently engaged in a procurement process to appoint a new concessionaire to operate and maintain the Gautrain into the future,” said the provincial government.
These plans tie into a R120-billion project that will expand the Gautrain network to triple its current size, adding new routes with a combined length of 150km.
The expanded Gautrain service is also intended to link to the Gauteng-Limpopo Rail Link Project, which is a joint development between the two provinces that will create a high-speed rail line from Pretoria through Polokwane all the way to Musina on the South Africa-Zimbabwe border.
“In addition to the expansion of the Gautrain, the provincial governments of Gauteng and Limpopo have concluded an agreement to facilitate a joint contribution towards the establishment of the Gauteng-Limpopo railway line to facilitate the movement of goods and people between the two provinces,” said the provincial government.
It is currently unclear when the provinces will officially break ground on the project, however, as the Rail Link Project is meant to form a part of the National Rail Masterplan, which is only expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
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