Johannesburg road speed cameras will be up and running this week, the Johannesburg Metro Police (JMPD) said on Monday.

"There was a growing concern for human life as motorists began using roads as racing tracks when the cameras were not working," said Senior Superintendent Wayne Minnaar.

Almost 40 cameras will be operational by Tuesday morning after being switched off on January 21.

They were switched off because the JMPD did not hand in applications to use the cameras, to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) by the January 1 deadline.

Minnaar said the department had submitted their application on time, but "glitches" had occurred at the administration offices.

Cameras would also be operational on certain roads which were becoming racing tracks.

These roads are: Heidelberg road past Newmarket road - which is a heavy industrial area and posed a risk for pedestrians - Barry Hertzog Avenue, Beyers Naude Drive, Comaro Road and Jan Smuts Avenue.

The shutting down of the cameras also created a problem for accident investigations. A motorist who caused an accident by shooting a red traffic light could claim that the light was green, and police would have no record of this.

Minnaar said the JMPD would continue with their "manual operations" which were done when the cameras were not operational.

Police used handheld laser cameras during these to trap speeding motorists on almost 30 roads in the city. - Sapa