by Staff Writer

The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport’s pothole application – PotholeFixGP – has gained momentum, assisting to improve turn-around times and accelerate repairs and maintenance.
 
A record number of motorists in the province have embraced the tool to report poor road conditions and non-functioning traffic lights, particularly along provincial roads, in the province.
 
As of May 2025, the application (app) has seen strong public engagement, with 15,701 downloads (Android), and 3,430 on iOS.
 
Since launching in 2022, close to 4000 potholes have been reported along provincial roads via the application, with 2,814 of these already repaired, representing a 72% repair rate.
 
The Department’s regional maintenance teams have attended to over 38,790 potholes along the provincial network. These are mainly identified and attended to by the regional maintenance teams. This, however, also excludes those potholes, over 200, located on provincial roads on or scheduled for full rehabilitation.
 
The app consists of two interfaces: a mobile app, available for iOS and Android devices, that allows members of the public to report potholes and non-functioning traffic signals; as well as a web application dashboard for the Department. When reporting a road maintenance issue through the mobile app, real-time data is transmitted, enabling the Department to efficiently allocate resources, monitor reported cases and initiate repairs.
 
Its development assists in streamlining and digitising reporting of road infrastructure maintenance issues, including potholes and traffic signal failures.
 
Initially developed to report potholes on Gauteng roads, it has been expanded to include reporting of non-functioning traffic signals. It further enables the Department to track and monitor progress on addressing reported issues, whilst providing updates to clients.
 
The app uses geographic information system technology, allowing it to pinpoint the exact location of reported maintenance issues and allocate the issue to the correct road authority for repair and maintenance.
 
Below is the breakdown of maintenance work by regional teams:
 
Krugersdorp (Greater Johannesburg): had 2,181 potholes reported, with 1,710 repaired.
Benoni (City of Ekurhuleni): 430 reported, 288 repaired.
Derdepoort (Tshwane): 763 reported, 375 repaired. The region has the highest number of potholes on provincial roads on or scheduled for full rehabilitation (177).
Vereeniging (Sedibeng): 495 reported with 423 repaired.
Bronkhorstspruit (Tshwane): 57 potholes reported, 18 repaired.
 
To date, a total of 3,926 potholes have been reported along provincial roads since May 2022, with 892 still pending repairs, of which a portion lies on roads awaiting full-scale rehabilitation.
 
Beyond pothole repairs, the Department remains actively involved in various routine road maintenance efforts which include:
 
Gravel surface maintenance – ensuring access and safety on rural and secondary roads.
Road markings – enhancing visibility and safety, especially in high-traffic areas.
Road traffic signal maintenance – addressing faults and ensuring optimal functioning of traffic lights.
Structural maintenance – conducting routine inspection and upkeep of bridges and other road structures.
 
The Department remains committed to improving road conditions, addressing community and motorists’ concerns promptly and leveraging technology for better service delivery. To this end, the Department encourages the downloading of the application (PotholeFixGP) for reporting purposes.