The City of Joburg MMC for transport Kenny Kunene, while tabling matters concerning Metrobus, JRA and Rea Vaya bus service this week vowed to prioritise the repair of potholes as well as to create jobs for youth who can direct traffic.
Kunene said during a media briefing that the city’s roads were far from world-class and rather resembles village infrastructure. He blamed the bad state on “the lack of funding, corruption, and laziness at the department”.
He said before being transport MMC, he too complained about potholes wrecking his sports cars.
I was at London Road 2weeks ago and I am back fixing corner 13th Avenue and London Road. Work in progress @MyJRA at work. #JRAatwork #KKatwork pic.twitter.com/tv7W9e0qei
— Kenny Kunene (@Kenny_T_Kunene) March 7, 2023
“Plans have been put in place to deal with the issues that the entity is facing including ensuring that the entity’s Asphalt Plant is fully functional, securing additional funding to deal with the backlog of potholes as well as partnering with corporates to keep the Traffic Signals on during loadshedding. To resurface the entire JRA road network of 14 000 km at a rate of 1 000kms per year, it will take the JRA 14 years to resurface the entire network. We will request a budget of R405 million from the City to cover 300kms in the next financial year. Thereafter, we will request more funding to cover more road, year -on-year,” he said.
Kunene also touched on the homeless having to direct traffic, especially during loadshedding.
Kunene said: “Homeless people who are directing traffic need to be trained. The homeless, you must have seen that some of them are very tipsy when they control traffic, and they could be opening both lanes because they’re not talking to each other.
“We will look at those who are in a healthy condition to train, but I think that my input with the MMC of public safety is that we perhaps partner with the companies that are going to work with us. We will come up with a model that one insurance company has done and see how they can assist us in terms of adopting some traffic intersections where they will also take care of those controlling traffic. At this point in time there is no plan from my side to train them.”
He said he has already engaged the MMC of public safety to try and fast-track a programme where young people can be trained for traffic control.
Kunene also mentioned that the private sector has been engaged on powering traffic signals through their backup power systems such as generators and solar power to keep the traffic lights functioning, even during blackouts.
This is where we went after the Presser #JRAatwork #KKJRAatwork @MyJRA pic.twitter.com/ZFlKUecXGJ
— Kenny Kunene (@Kenny_T_Kunene) March 9, 2023
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