The Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) is on a quest to making Sandton’s roads, streets and connecting lanes pothole-free and convenient for local residents and motorist in an effort to reduce the number of roadside claims and accidents which result from there being too many potholes.
The Discovery Pothole Patrol van was seen on The River Road on August 8 and August 10, with civil servants hard at work in patching the series of potholes that have plagued that convenient way for far too long.
According to JRA spokesperson Bertha Scheepers, the effort’s success is due to there being a concerted effort for partners to work together.
“The JRA partnered with Discovery Insure and Avis Southern Africa in June 2023 for the Pothole Patrol initiative. This mutually beneficial agreement assists the JRA with pothole repairs while helping reduce the number of pothole-related accidents that have resulted in high insurance claims for Discovery and Avis. (This initiative was first introduced and implemented in May 2021, where the city partnered with Discovery Insure and Dial Direct). This partnership has proven to yield positive results,” Scheepers said.
“During the first instalment of the Pothole Patrol initiative, the JRA recorded a total of 175 000 potholes repaired across the City of Johannesburg between May 2021 and December 2021, while Discovery Insure recorded a 26% decrease in pothole-related claims in Johannesburg during that period.”
According to Scheepers, the JRA, on average, spends about R20 629 052. 36 per annum fixing potholes budgeted in JRA’s annual operational budget for overall road maintenance for which a total of R782 945 149 has been set aside for the 2023/24 financial year.
Scheepers, furthermore, detailed the various factors which contribute to the formation of potholes on South Africa’s roads. “The formation of potholes can be attributed to various factors such as ageing infrastructure, heavy rains and water collecting onto the road surface and pressure from heavy-duty vehicles, among others.
“While we have routine maintenance in place, some of the roads have deteriorated beyond pothole patching and require resurfacing or reconstruction. As JRA is not able to resurface all the roads at once, the JRA has prioritised main arterials and roads that are key transport nodes for urgent resurfacing and then other roads are prioritised based on assessment gradings. A budget of R87 million has been allocated towards the 2023/24 financial period which will see roads such as the M1 and M2 upgraded.”
Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Transport Kenny Kunene applauds the extended partnership. “The Discovery Pothole Patrol initiative, eliminating one pothole at a time, is just one example of how the JRA and the City’s Transport Department is transforming the way in which it looks at service delivery. Through partnerships and developmental models where citizens and business are no longer the passive recipients of services but active participants, working together for the greater good.”
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Discovery Insure has partnered with Avis to assist Johannesburg Road Agency end potholes.
