The Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department has started rolling out the hundreds of cars that have been at the centre of controversy.

The Star reported last month that almost 500 new Ekurhuleni metro police cars had been gathering dust since May.

The newspaper said a project to buy R88-million worth of cars, to boost the metro police, had "derailed and left the cars stranded in a parking lot instead of being out on the streets".

Metro police spokesperson Wilfred Kgasago said on Sunday that Saturday saw the start of the roll-out of 435 vehicles.

"Seventy branded patrol vehicles were issued on Saturday to operational officers.

"Marked patrol vehicles will be rolled out at the rate of 100 vehicles per week and barring any inclement weather, all of the more than 400 branded vehicles should be on Ekurhuleni roads by 5 December."

This would be over and above 65 unmarked vehicles issued in October.

Sapa