Motorists and pedestrians travelling along the N12 national road through Warrenton face hazardous conditions due to broken street lighting infrastructure and poor verge maintenance.
This raises serious questions about the South African National Roads Agency’s (Sanral) oversight of this major route.
Field observations in December revealed multiple streetlight poles snapped at their base, with others bent at precarious angles over the roadway. According to reports, these poles have remained in this dilapidated state for several months, leaving the road without functional lighting and creating dangerous night-driving conditions.
The maintenance failures extend beyond lighting infrastructure. Road verges showed significant neglect, with kerbs overgrown with weeds, contributing to an overall impression of dereliction along what should be a well-maintained national artery.
By January, these verges at the entrance to Warrenton had been cleared. However, some broken poles were still lying beside the road during a site inspection on 14 January, and several broken and missing streetlights had not yet been replaced.
Routine day and night inspections required
Sanral’s documented maintenance standards mandate specific contractors for “preventative and corrective maintenance” of lighting infrastructure under Routine Road Maintenance contracts.
The agency’s maintenance framework requires contractors to conduct routine day and night inspections to identify faults.
ALSO READ: Projects to better roads in Northern Cape
The extended period for which broken poles have remained unrepaired raises questions about whether these inspections are being conducted as required and, if so, why they have failed to trigger repairs.
According to Sanral’s protocols, fallen or dangerously leaning poles would likely be classified as “category A” faults, requiring immediate emergency response under the agency’s key performance indicators.
Timelines not met
The months-long neglect suggests these critical response timelines have not been met.
Maintenance protocols outlined in several national standards establish requirements for cleaning schedules, bulk lamp replacements and other preventative measures.
“Sanral is aware of the street-lighting and vegetation challenges on this section of the N12. We have been engaging with the Magareng Municipality through the memorandum of understanding negotiations to ensure coordinated solutions and acknowledge that the condition of the lighting affects road user safety and visibility, particularly at night,” a Sanral spokesperson said in response to enquiries.
The agency confirmed maintenance teams had been instructed to address the hazards.
Damaged and unstable light poles that posed a safety risk were prioritised for removal.
Sanral stated that routine inspections continue along this section of the N12, encompassing daily route patrols and scheduled oversight inspections. The agency indicated that the matters raised were being addressed through its routine maintenance processes.
“Sanral remains responsible for the safety and condition of the national road network and will continue to monitor this section of the N12 to ensure that risks to road users are managed appropriately,” the spokesperson added.
However, Sanral did not address questions about whether the contractor was meeting its contractual obligations, why category A faults remained unaddressed for several months, or what specific measures were in place to prevent similar lapses in future.
ALSO READ: R180 million N2 security wall planned by Cape Town to protect motorists
You must be logged in to post a comment.