Frustrated behind the wheel by traffic delays and congestion in Johannesburg?

Now you have somewhere to vent that will‚ hopefully‚ make the journey more bearable.

Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba and his public safety MMC Michael Sun launched a new 24-hour traffic hotline on Thursday in collaboration with the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JPMD).

Motorists are advised to call the hotline on 080 872 3342 to report issues around traffic lights‚ cable theft‚ floods‚ road construction‚ vandalism‚ accidents‚ broken down vehicles and areas where traffic lights are down or traffic is gridlocked.

“I can personally attest to how traffic congestion has become a daily struggle. Countless productive hours have been lost by residents stuck in traffic simply trying to get to one point from the other‚” said Mashaba.

He said the new service would “change the way we move around the city for better. Our transport network suffered in the hands of previous leadership in our city”.

But he cautioned that rolling out the service would take time and require patience from motorists.

The JMPD has identified 304 high-traffic volume spots across in the city that will be monitored with the aim of reducing congestion‚ he said.

Johannesburg was rated as the 44th most congested city in the world by a research company in the USA.

Traffic congestion has a negative impact on the city’s economy. — TMG Digital