Johannesburg Roads Agency spends R284m a year on road repairs

It will cost the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) about R284-million a year to repair deteriorating roads, said JRA spokesperson advocate Thulani Makhubela on Tuesday, 17 November 2009.

He cited potholes, trenches and traffic signals that are out of order as some areas of concern.

"As an organisation that is service delivery driven, we have taken all the concerns raised and have ensured that our business plan addresses them adequately," Makhubela told a media briefing.

He added that the agency wanted to implement rehabilitative measures in all the roads, but noted that it had budgetary constraints. "There are roads that will be given priority over others. This should not be interpreted to mean that some roads are going to be neglected."

Makhubela acknowledged that JRA is aware of the frustration on both pedestrian and motorist alike regarding the trenches and potholes on the roads caused by the ageing infrastructure, laying of optic cables, road upgrades.

He appealed to the public that the infrastructure could only be sustainable if members of the public took ownership of it so as to put an end to vandalism.

"There is vandalism of traffic signs, graffiti on road signs, theft of manhole covers. We are spending about R600 000 a year on manhole steel covers, excluding labour costs. Since we have replaced them with polymer concrete, it has been reduced," said Makhubela.