The metro reacted in response to the DA’s statement that virtually all services had come to a standstill due to supplies of fuel and diesel running dry, because of the metro’s lack of payment to the suppliers.
“What happened is that we have moved from the singular supplier of fuel and unbundled it to four suppliers,” says metro spokesperson Themba Gadebe.
The three suppliers, he adds, have commenced working well with the metro, except for one supplier who has been dealing with internal issues.
“We have moved ahead so that vehicles in those affected areas can go to any depot in Ekurhuleni to fill up; the situation has not compromised service delivery at all,” Gadebe says.
However, according to DA shadow MMC for Roads and Transport Bill Rundle, this response from the metro is very economical with the truth.
“The metro says the supplier with the internal problems appears to have been the cause of depots running dry,” Rundle says. ”The answer does not explain why a vehicle from Edenvale may have to travel to Boksburg or elsewhere to refuel, which would not be a very cost saving exercise.”
Just using Edenvale as an example, Rundle guesses that there could be as many as 15 to 30 trucks and other vehicles a day that would have to travel outside of Edenvale to refuel.
“What is also not reported is that the metro gets different types and grades of fuel and diesel from the current approved and contracted suppliers. When, then, does the problem supplier supply?” he asks.
“The fact that new contracts were awarded months late is also not alluded to.
“Also, consider what the internal problems of the supplier are – are they council or supplier-related, or both?”
According to Rundle, there is no report on the supposed dispute on the payment arrangements, so the matter remains as obfuscated as ever.
“We have also not received any feedback on the six senior Roads and Transport officials suspended two months ago; for now it appears as if depots have supplies,” he says. – @IschkeBoksburg
