‘ELM please fix our roads’: Bosa

SEDIBENG.- Motorists must organize themselves and resolve means to get value for money for any traffic fines issued to them, versus the state of portholes in the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM).

This was said by Build One South Africa (Bosa) Sedibeng Chairperson, Ernest Nkopane who also demands that speed cameras be removed from the streets and that jobs be created for physical traffic officers.

Nkopane said that the motorists in Emfuleni suffer a double blow, in that if it’s not the ‘hidden’ speed cameras then potholes continue to ‘reap them off’ the unplanned and unnecessary cost of having to buy and replace car tyres weekly, and or must pay for the speed cameras that are owned by a private service provider but paid for by taxpayers money.

Furthermore, Nkopane added that no one can clearly explain why the ELM cannot buy its own resources but resorts to wasting funds for their so-called close service providers at the percentage that is payable on a monthly basis, with highly irregular collection fees upon returns.

“Emfuleni traffic officials and cops should be put to task to be more visible on the road instead of speed cameras. This draws the attention to reality that we need more human traffic personnel on the road because they also must benefit from securing employment to serve and earn salaries to support their families, not speed cameras that continue to be maintained whenever they are broken as compared to creating physical jobs for the youth.”

Nkopane said that a questionable contract between the service provider and the municipality (ELM), only benefits the service provider more than it should benefit the municipality on revenue collection dividends at a rough estimate.

The revenue collected from motorists through speed camera fines must be audited to the extent of even auditing the very same Municipal officials who own cars if they are paying for their own traffic fines or they are being given preferential treatment by those who seek other ordinary drivers with similar offenses to pay for any of the penalties issued. If you want us to pay for the traffic fines tickets, then fix the infrastructure and remove the speed cameras, then employ more traffic officers to be visible on the roads first.”