Greater Gaborone gets P534m hi-tech traffic eye
Larona Makhaiza | Wednesday December 17, 2025 15:51
Speaking at the official launch on Tuesday, the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Noah Salakae, said the project to establish the traffic centre dates back to 2017.
“The project commenced in November 2017 and has a contract duration of 123 months and is due to end in February 2028. Twenty-two months were spent on the design of the systems and facilities, 53 months were spent on construction and installations, and 48 months were allocated for allocation and maintenance,” the minister said.
Salakae said the newly established centre would primarily focus on Greater Gaborone, which includes Mogoditshane, Mmopane, Metsimotlhabe, Tlokweng, and parts of the Kgatleng District (Mmamaashia, Morwa, and Rasesa).
Explaining the centre's capabilities, Salakae described the facility as a fully-fledged unit ensuring seamless traffic flow in the city.
“The new traffic signalling project consists of this centre as well as other systems and equipment, including new traffic signals and related equipment such as controllers and uninterruptible power supply, a traffic management system to remotely and centrally control traffic signals, communication equipment to link the field and the centre, and 20 closed-circuit television surveillance cameras,” he said.
“Traffic enforcement equipment comprising 30 red light violation cameras and 11 speed violation cameras strategically located in Greater Gaborone, and Automatic Video Incident Detection cameras located in Gaborone,” Salakae added.
The minister noted that the new facility is not solely for traffic management, as the inclusion of violation cameras would help curb traffic crimes.
“The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, together with the Botswana Police Service, are currently finalising the regulations that will govern the use of the installed red light violation cameras and speed violation cameras for traffic enforcement,” he said.
He envisioned that the process would take effect before the current financial year ends.
Salakae disclosed that the project was executed under a design, build, maintain, operate, and transfer type of contract.
Boko hailed the TMC's launch as a solution to identifying cars involved in criminal activities.
“The centre we are launching today has licence plate recognition technology that will be able to identify unregistered vehicles, expired permits, and vehicles involved in criminal activity,” Boko said.