The Departments of Public Safety and Economic Development in the City of Johannesburg have welcomed the Council’s decision to buy land in Denver for conversion into a vehicle impound lot.
According to a statement from the MMC for Economic Development, Leah Knott, and the MMC for Public Safety, Michael Sun, the five hectare property, which can accommodate about 10 000 vehicles, is a critical improvement on the current Turffontein pound, which has space for only 740 vehicles at any given moment.
Councillor Knott shared her feelings about the significance of community-oriented endeavours that are required in the City:
“Our collaboration with the Public Safety Department is an example of how symbiotic efforts can result in creating the kind of City we all want. The purchase of this land was managed by the Johannesburg Property Company. We hope to eliminate non-compliant vehicles from our roads through this endeavour,” Knott said.
The R40 million purchase will help the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) to reinstate lawfulness in the City through its Operation Buya Mthetho. The JMPD will be able to house all vehicles that have been appropriated because of failure to comply with the road rules, such as unlawful abandonment, unroadworthiness, illicit dumping and drinking and driving. The JMPD is also acquiring 20 brand-new patrol vehicles to add to its current fleet.
Although the land still has to be transferred to the City and the space rezoned to function as a pound, the two offices want to kick this venture off within the next year.
Councillor Sun has in the previous two years led various operations relating to the roadworthiness of vehicles. He said that the expansion of the pound space will enable the removal of vehicles that are frequently the cause of street mishaps and fatalities from the roads.
