The modernization project of the traffic light system as a public-private partnership with the company Iskra Sistemi is caused mass protests in Maribor and consequently, the largest protests in the history of independent Slovenia. As a consequence of that also the mayor of Maribor at that time Franc Kangler was forced to resign.

The majority of the speed offenders exceeded the allowed speed by up to 10 km/h. Several citizens of Maribor at that time found, that the municipality did not set up the speed traps to raise the traffic safety, but only to collect money from speed offenders to modernize the traffic light system. And part of the money would also flow to private hands, as the city of Maribor signed a contract, worth 30 million EUR with Iskra-Sistemi, which would receive 92 percent of the money from the speed offences during a period of 4 years. No epilogue is still in sight, as the lawsuit between the municipality of Maribor and Iskra Sistemi is still in process.