Johannesburg - Joburg mayor Geoff Makhubo has commended private enterprises for partnering with the government to repair potholes in the city.
Makhubo, in partnership with insurance companies Dialdirect Insurance and Discovery Insure, launched the Pothole Patrol on Monday, an initiative aimed at repairing the city’s 48 000 potholes.
Joburg is the country’s economic hub and roads are important to its development agenda as they connect employees to workplaces such as factories and producers to markets.
The municipality passed a budget of R68.1 billion for the 2020/2021 financial year. Joburg’s Finance MMC Jolidee Matongo has said about 70% of the total budget is derived from rates and taxes.
Makhubo said it was important for the city’s road infrastructure to be in a good condition for the protection of vehicles and the passengers travelling on them.
“We have no doubt that this joint initiative with private sector support is the boost we need to fix the road infrastructure in the city. We are confident that the launch of this initiative is a game-changer in resolving the scourge of potholes on our roads,” Makhubo said.
The Star was witness to the first pothole that was repaired on William Nicol Drive.
Makhubo mentioned at the event that due to the vast expanse of the city’s road infrastructure and the backlog created over time through various reasons, including an increase in road traffic and worsening weather conditions, it might take time for a pothole that had been logged to be repaired
He also spoke about his experience with potholes in the city. “While I was driving in Soweto over the weekend, I thought it would be better to drive on the pavement because of the bad state of the roads in that area.”
The head of Dialdirect Insurance, Anneli Retief, said: “After 10 years, we’re back and once again we are ready to help solve the backlog of potholes and help motorists drive right.”
Discovery Insure chief executive Anton Ossip said: “We’re proud to support the Joburg Roads Agency with this important initiative that we have no doubt will make our roads safer for everyone.”
Makhubo further highlighted that potholes would soon be a thing of the past and they would then move on to fixing traffic lights and removing those who are occupying spaces in the city illegally.
The Star