Frequently Asked Questions

General Topics

 

What is i-TRAFFIC
i-TRAFFIC is a traveller information service provided by the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited. It provides traffic conditions information, road works, congestion and traffic alert information for Gauteng, the Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal. i-TRAFFIC informs travellers in these regions about current conditions on the national roads, with more detailed information for the urban areas where SANRAL has real-time congestion information.

What are the coverage areas of i-TRAFFIC?
Currently, i-TRAFFIC provides real-time traffic conditions and alerts for the national roads in Gauteng, the Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal. These areas correspond to national roads instrumented by SANRAL with its Freeway Management System. In the future, as SANRAL expands its Freeway Management System to other areas, information for these will be available through i-TRAFFIC.

What information can I get from i-TRAFFIC?
i-TRAFFIC provides congestion information on national roads, incidents, road works and alerts. You can also access camera images to see real-time travel conditions, in addition to the colour-coded speed maps for national roads. Travel times on the national roads are also available. i-TRAFFIC also includes links to other services, including e-toll, other toll road operators, airports and public transport services in Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. This site will be updated over the coming year to provide additional information. Please come back in the future to see live camera images, live traffic speeds on the map and drive times. This information will be customisable for registered users (see below for more information on My i-TRAFFIC).

Where does the information on i-TRAFFIC come from?
Information for i-TRAFFIC comes from a variety of sources. SANRAL operates detection devices on the national roads to detect traffic incidents and generate information about current vehicle speeds. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras are deployed along national roads; these are the same cameras that are monitored by staff at SANRAL’s Traffic Management Centres to detect incidents and accidents on the national roads. i-TRAFFIC also gets its road works information from SANRAL and other agencies.
In a series of on-going enhancements, traffic detectors on the roadside will be used to display live traffic speeds on the maps and to generate the travel times on national roads. Speed information will also be provided by third parties through other detection systems. How is the information on i-TRAFFIC different than a radio or TV report? Radio traffic reports often only report on a few road segments or incidents at a time. With i-TRAFFIC, users have the full picture of congestion, accidents and incidents affecting roads in the Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. i-TRAFFIC also allows registered users to customise the information they want to receive.

Who operates i-TRAFFIC?
i-TRAFFIC is a free service to travellers in South Africa. SANRAL is implementing a state-of-the-art Freeway Management System in major urban areas throughout the country. Information from this system enables SANRAL to better manage traffic and incidents, provides vital information to emergency responders, and supports better road and traffic condition information to be provided to travellers. i-TRAFFIC information is monitored and updated by operators 24 hours per day, 7 days per week from the Traffic Management Centres in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.

How often is information on i-TRAFFIC updated?
Information on the i-TRAFFIC site is continually updated based on real-time conditions.

  • Incidents on the national roads are posted to i-TRAFFIC when they are reported and verified by SANRAL’s Traffic Management Centre operators. These operators are continuously in contact with responders in the field and update incident information and details as they become available.
  • Road works information often covers longer term road works projects and programmes, and this information is updated as needed. Road works information will be provided to travellers in advance of major activities to assist travellers with planning.

What languages are available on i-TRAFFIC?
At present, all information for i-TRAFFIC is available in English.

Can I obtain the footage recorded by the CCTV cameras for a specific incident?
The unrestricted release of video footage could impact the privacy of road users. The video footage may contain personal information governed by the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013. Due to the confidentiality of the video footage it will only be released to the South African Police Service (SAPS). This typically is only done once a case has been opened for criminal investigation. For assistance please contact the relevant SAPS station for the area in which the incident occurred and advise the investigating officer to contact the SANRAL Traffic Management Centre (TMC). Only the investigating officer will be allowed to view the recorded footage at the TMC, following which he/she can request a copy thereof.

Access to Other Transport Information

Is e-toll information available from i-TRAFFIC?
i-TRAFFIC traveller information and the Gauteng e-toll programme are separate programmes. i-TRAFFIC does include a link to the e-toll programme for tag registration, account information and user account management. When users click on the e-toll link from i-TRAFFIC, the e-toll site will open in a separate web browser window. i-TRAFFIC does include road conditions, congestion, incidents and alerts for national roads that are part of the e-toll programme, but does not include any access to individual accounts or account management functions.

There are a lot of other toll roads in South Africa. How do I find out about traffic conditions, road works or other travel conditions on these routes?
SANRAL partners with several concessionaires who operate toll road facilities, particularly those roads that connect various provinces in South Africa. Each of these toll facilities is operated by a different concessionaire, and there may be different levels of information available for these facilities. For specific information on individual concessionaire operations, including rates, plaza locations, and any available information about incidents or closures, please consult the following concessionaire sites:

Where can I find information on non-national roads or major arterials?
Currently, SANRAL or other agencies do not have real-time information about congestion or traffic conditions, nor do they have CCTV available on major arterials. Information on major incidents may be included in radio reports, if available.

Where can I find information about other modes of transport?
The i-TRAFFIC site includes links to information for public transport, airports and rail services in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. Clicking on these links will take you directly to their web sites.

i-TRAFFIC Features and Tools

What roadway assistance is available? How do I request it?
If you are in an accident on the road network, please call the emergency number 0800 SANRAL.

How do I report an incident?
If you see an accident or incident on the national roads, please dial 0800 ITRAFF to report this to the Traffic Management Centres in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.

What is My i-TRAFFIC?
My i-TRAFFIC is a unique feature of the i-TRAFFIC traveller information service that allows users to customise the information they receive and request alerts when incidents or events impact the key routes that users indicate they travel. My i-TRAFFIC is a free service that requires registration to receive customised alerts on routes you drive regularly.

How do I register for My i-TRAFFIC?
Click “Register" on the top right menu of the i-TRAFFIC site.

Helpful Tips for Using i-TRAFFIC

Is i-TRAFFIC compatible with my mobile phone or smart phone?
For smart phones with a web browser, a mobile version of i-TRAFFIC is available. Please note that there may be some limitations on resolution or functionality. i-TRAFFIC is not compatible with standard mobile phones that do not have web browsing capability. Please use i-TRAFFIC responsibly, do not access via your mobile device while driving.

Is there a charge to use i-TRAFFIC from my smart phone?
The i-TRAFFIC service is free of charge, however, data usage may be subject to a charge as per the terms of your service or plan agreement with your smart phone telecommunications provider.

How do I give feedback on the i-TRAFFIC website?
You can provide your comments through the Contact Us link, which is at the bottom of every page on the Website.

How can I make the site look bigger on my screen?
Simply hold down the control key while pressing the plus (+) key. This will enlarge the site. To make it smaller, hold down the control key while pressing the minus (-) key.

Other Ways to Get Information

How can I get alerts about traffic incidents or severe congestion?
i-TRAFFIC offers several options for getting urgent traffic conditions information to users. On the i-TRAFFIC site, major alerts will be featured on the main page and the main regional pages, and this will be updated as conditions change.
If you have a Twitter account, you can sign up to receive Twitter messages and alerts for any region covered by i-TRAFFIC. You will need to sign up with the individual regional Twitter accounts to receive these alerts via Twitter. Please refer to more detailed information and links to SANRAL’s regional Twitter accounts here:

I do not have Internet access, is there a phone number I can call to get traffic information?
Yes. There is a recorded information line that travellers can use to get current alerts or incidents on National roads: 0800487233 (0800 ITRAFF). Users can select their region (Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal or the Western Cape) and then will hear a list of available alerts, incidents or restrictions on national roads in that area. Please use the toll-free hotline responsibly, and do not call while driving. It is not safe, and it is against the law!

Privacy and Accessibility

What is SANRAL’s privacy policy for the i-TRAFFIC website?
Privacy of user’s information is important to SANRAL. The i-TRAFFIC site and SANRAL are respectful of its users’ privacy in this electronic medium. Please refer to the Privacy Policy link at the bottom of this site.

What information is collected about me when I visit the i-TRAFFIC site?
The i-TRAFFIC web system collects and uses personal information. The personal information you voluntarily provide is used to fulfil a request. i-TRAFFIC may use this information to inform you of service information or other news of value to you. i-TRAFFIC or its contracted vendors do not sell, trade or rent your personal information to anyone, or disclose personal information unless you have authorised i-TRAFFIC to do so or unless it is required by law.
i-TRAFFIC may request personal information when you submit comments about i-TRAFFIC on i-TRAFFIC.co.za or when you participate in a website survey, poll or blog. You may also be asked to provide information when subscribing to an e-mail newsletter or e-mail alerts. You do not need to provide the personal information requested as part of these i-TRAFFIC.co.za web-based programmes or services, though you may not be able to use some or all of the features of certain programmes or services without providing the information.
Subscribers to My i-TRAFFIC will need to disclose a limited amount of personal contact information in order to register for this service.

How secure is my information on i-TRAFFIC?
Personal information collected on-line is stored on the i-TRAFFIC.co.za web server and is not publicly accessible. Personal information is accessible by i-TRAFFIC employees, our authorised contractors on a need-to-know basis. Please note, however, that phone or e-mail enquiries about other public agencies will be forwarded directly to those agencies, where any personal information will be handled in compliance with that agency's privacy policy. All SANRAL employees and contractors with access to this information are required to adhere to the terms of this Privacy Notice.

Does i-TRAFFIC meet accessibility guidelines for vision impaired users?
Yes. The i-TRAFFIC site is designed to be compatible with web-reading assistance devices.

Contact Us

How do I give feedback on the Website?
You can provide your comments through the Contact Us link, which is at the bottom of every page on the Website.

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