Motorists travelling through Johannesburg may want to allow extra time on the roads after a fuel shortage brought the city’s road maintenance operations to a standstill.
Image used for illustrative purposes/Ministar Samuel/Pexels
According to IOL, the City of Johannesburg has suspended fuel supplies to the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) fleet, leaving teams unable to carry out essential maintenance work across the metro. The disruption, which took effect on 15 June, has halted everything from pothole repairs and traffic signal maintenance to stormwater drain clearing and emergency road response.
The suspension stems from mounting financial and liquidity pressures facing the municipality, with no confirmed date for when normal operations will resume.
According to Johannesburg’s MMC for Transport, Kenny Kunene, the lack of fuel has effectively grounded JRA field teams, preventing them from responding to damaged roads, malfunctioning traffic lights and other critical infrastructure issues.
“The financial and liquidity challenges facing the City of Johannesburg have moved from balancing books to the daily reality on our streets,” Kunene said in a statement. He warned that the interruption poses risks not only to commuters but also to economic activity throughout the city.
For residents and visitors alike, the impact is likely to become increasingly noticeable. Existing potholes may worsen without repairs, traffic congestion could increase where faulty traffic signals remain unattended, and heavy rainfall may lead to drainage problems if stormwater systems cannot be cleared.
The City has apologised for the disruption and says it is working with its finance department and executive leadership to restore fuel supplies and resume operations as quickly as possible.
Until then, motorists are being urged to drive cautiously, remain alert for damaged road surfaces and malfunctioning intersections, and expect longer delays as maintenance backlogs continue to grow.
(Source: IOL)
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