Blog - Page 178 of 196 - SANRAL Stop Over

SANRAL Activates Awareness In Motherwell Community

26Jan2016

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Road safety campaigns, scholarships, bursary programmes and information aimed at saving lives were taken to the people of Port Elizabeth by the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) when the agency held an outreach event at the Motherwell Shopping Centre.

The community activation, which drew large crowds, included a general overview of SANRAL projects, SANRAL’s ChekiCoast (Save a Life) road safety campaign and information on SANRAL’s scholarship and bursary programmes targeted at learners with potential and students interested in engineering.

Community members were afforded the opportunity to interact with SANRAL employees who were not only there to listen but also to inform them of the bene ts they could reap from scholarship programmes offered by the state-owned entity. The SANRAL employees also informed the residents of projects which could directly and indirect bene t from the work done in and around their communities.

“Mbulelo Peterson, SANRAL Southern Region’s regional manager says SANRAL supports civil engineering students to reach their full potential. “During the 2014/15 financial year, we granted bursaries to 105 students at a cost of about R11 million. We are passionate about mathematics and science and continue to attract learners to our scholarship programme,” said Peterson.

He explained that learners who excel academically are supported from grades 10 to 12. During the past year, SANRAL awarded scholarships to 172 learners at a cost of about R2.3 million.

Elna Fourie, SANRAL Manager of Road Safety Education and Awareness said SANRAL was very passionate and serious about road safety.

“Apart from the engineering infrastructure projects we implement, we also roll out our road safety education project at schools. Last year (2014) our road safety education material targeting grades 1 to 12 was delivered to 326 schools. This material reached 153 193 learners and 1 446 teachers, with 608 of the teachers attending workshops,” said Fourie.

Earlier this month (November) SANRAL and the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) Missionvale campus in Port Elizabeth hosted the Science, Technology, Engineering and Related Management/Mathematics (STEM) Fields Pipeline Project where the area’s top performing schools and teachers received awards.

The objective of the project is to develop human capital and capacity in these vital subjects, especially among learners in Grades 10 to 12 in the Uitenhage and Port Elizabeth school districts.

“We hope to inspire people to become active and take charge of their futures. We went through SANRAL’s bursary programme and we are now able to sow back into the communities where we come from and this gives us a sense of pride,” said Lindokuhle Mhlangeni, an engineering intern at SANRAL (Southern Region).

The activation was broadcast live by local radio station, Nqubela FM (also known as KQFM) which gave everyone who did not attend the activation an opportunity to learn about ChekiCoast and what SANRAL offers Port Elizabeth and the rest of the Eastern Cape.

Mandisa Vuma, who visited the stand, said:

“What some people don’t know about SANRAL is the role they also play when it comes to supporting education. They support educational programmes hosted at the university (NMMU).”

Thulisa Lukwe and her mother Phunyezwa Lukwe were surprised to learn that SANRAL also offers bursaries and scholarships.

Thulisa said she was happy that SANRAL publicised the bursaries and scholarship programmes as well.

“This was a good idea to talk about what else SANRAL does besides xing roads. I am happy they have reached out to parents and told them about the bursaries and scholarships.”

Sive Pupa said although she did not have extensive knowledge of the SANRAL bursary and scholarship programmes she was aware of SANRAL roads maintenance projects.

“My mother has an SMME and she worked on road maintenance projects before. This is how I know there are people who keep an eye out on the conditions of the roads. After this community activation programme of today I will know so much more about what else SANRAL has to offer.”

Individuals who would like to gain insight on SANRAL are encouraged to visit our website here, for more information.

AARTO – What You Need To Know.

26Jan2016

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The Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) is an entity of the Department of Transport responsible for influencing positive driver behaviour and to encourage voluntary compliance with road traffic laws of the country through the implementation of Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (AARTO) and its Points Demerit System. RTIA commits to using its legislative mandate to ensure that road traffic laws are adhered to, lives are saved and our roads are safer for all those who use them.

In preparation for the implementation of AARTO nationally, the Agency is involved in a series of stakeholder engagement sessions in the form of AARTO roundtable discussions, Sihamba ne AARTO roadshows and partnerships with civic society and the interfaith fraternity in echoing the saying that “road safety is everybody’s responsibility”.

These interventions are in support of the Minister of Transport’s conviction to drive road user behavioural change through robust debate, moral revival and heightened awareness about motorist rights and responsibility on road safety. It is in appreciation of the fact that 90% of all road crashes that occur on the South African road network are often found to have resulted from a violation of road traffic laws.

RTIA through AARTO education and awareness campaigns seeks to harness interventions for changing the culture of the road users, heighten the appreciation for more prudence and respect for life on the road.

Objectives of RTIA’s Road Safety Awareness Campaigns under the AARTO Act:

– Mobilise and empower civic society to enhance accountability amongst fellow motorists.

– Mobilise support for the Million Signature Campaign towards active participation of civic society as government’s partner in changing the behaviour of the road user.

– Encourage a culture of voluntary compliance amongst road users in South Africa.

– Foster a heightened understanding of road traffic regulations and increased sense of responsibility amongst road users.

Let’s look at dialogue and what’s needed – Daphne Mashile-Nkosi, Board member of SANRAL

26Jan2016

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The “#FeesMustFall,” campaign by university students has generated much debate. That is to be welcomed and encouraged.

Like the 1976 generation, the so-called hashtag youth of today has once again reminded us not only of the imperative of the right to education but also its place in facilitating economic access and meaningful citizen participation.

With humility, one is reminded of an observation which became the mantra of the late Stan Nkosi (my husband) that “Africa will not be free until education, economic freedom and moral regeneration is prioritised”.

In the area of education, it should be possible to explore consensus on a package of measures to broaden access so as to facilitate the potential of all our people.

The starting point should be a discussion among the leadership of the key stakeholders on the strategic importance of education in the achievement of our national development goals as articulated in the National Development Plan (NDP).

SANRAL already takes the approach seriously in its programmes to enhance educational possibilities for students and learners, especially in the eld of science and mathematics.

We should use the students’ protest urgently to convene a national dialogue on education to examine the constraints and opportunities in the system and what we should do to turn the situation around.

It should concern us that while government currently spends an estimated R203 468 billion on basic education, with the figure projected to rise to roughly R640 billion in the next three years, our return on the investment is still less than satisfactory.

Before 1994, we used to talk about the vital need for the rekindling and promotion of a culture of learning and teaching, which was asphyxiated by decades of the system of Bantu education.

Today, that discussion has disappeared from the national discourse. One consequence of this is that it is taken for granted that the culture has been rekindled over the years, which might be partially correct if not entirely erroneous.

The poor literacy and numeracy performance of learners registered over the years in Annual National Assessments are indicative of serious shortcomings that suggest a national crisis in education.

The Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga revealed that the Diagnostic Report affected to examine the tests revealed that “in some cases,” the difficulties experienced by learners “were the result of ineffective teaching methods”. However, the poor performance of learners at critical stages like those in the senior phase might suggest that the “ineffective teaching methods” might be more widespread than we think.

The assessments, as indeed other elements of education, cannot be left to the department and teachers’ unions alone. They are a national concern that requires the attention of all stakeholders including parents, learners themselves, business and education specialists.

It is also clear that the current system of engagement by stakeholders within the sector does not bode well for consensus promotion and might inadvertently reduce the capacity to reach national goals. For example, what happens if learners’ organised formations enter into agreements with the department which unduly disadvantage teachers or vice versa?

The recent public announcement by the Congress of South African Students which encouraged learners to respond in kind to corporal punishment meted to learners by teachers was an illustration of the absence of consensus about how to address discipline in the schooling system. This is despite the existence of government policy as reflected in law.

There is, therefore, a need for a more democratised system of engagement which takes into account the place of education in the nation’s economic, political, social vision and aspirations – one in which stakeholders appreciate accountability not only to their constituencies but, above all, the nation as a whole.

The same attitude should guide stakeholders at the apex of the education system, the tertiary level.

These and other matters could best be debated in the context of a national dialogue on education which focuses the nation’s attention singularly to the issue.

It is an initiative which the Stan and Daphne Nkosi Foundation would readily partner.

Massive Debt Discounts – Have You Taken This Opportunity?

26Jan2016

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Road users on the Gauteng freeway network became eligible for a 60% reduction of their historic e-toll debt in arrears on 2 November 2015. This once-off discount applies to all unpaid e-tolls levied on GFIP roads from 3 December 2013 up to and including 31 August 2015

The new e-toll dispensation, announced by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa in May last year, was phased in and changes were made to the electronic systems to ensure a seamless transition, says SANRAL’s Head of Communications, Vusi Mona.

Among the changes that were already in place are a uniform rate per vehicle class (for example, 30 cents per kilometre for light vehicles) and a 50% reduction in the monthly maximum for registered account holders.

Road users with outstanding e-toll debt incurred from 3 December 2013 until 31 August 2015 now have six months to settle their accounts, or make payment arrangements.

“This is not an amnesty or a debt write-off,” says Mona.

“It is a special discount offered to road users in terms of the new dispensation.”

Detailed information on all payment options available can be found on the special website here.

Mona says the best option for road users is still to register for e-tags and bene t from the reduced tariff and a monthly maximum that has been cut in half from R450 per month to only R225 for light vehicles, since the beginning of July.

“Government has listened to concerns from Gauteng road users about the affordability of the e-toll fees and responded by reducing toll fees and making it easier for those who do not have an account with SANRAL to settle their debt.”

Transport Engineers Shortage? Not if we can help it!

26Jan2016

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There is a shortage of qualified transport engineers in the country, which is made worse by the increasing demand for these skills, particularly at local government level. In addition, there are very few tertiary institutions in the country that offer degrees in transport engineering.

It is for this reason that the Department of Transport, together with SANRAL, have entered into a strategic partnership to develop a new curriculum for such a degree at the North West University, Mahikeng Campus.

An initiative to produce quality graduates in transport economics and transport planning was started by the Department of Transport, together with the Universities of Cape Town and Pretoria in 2002.

The project was, however, not developed because of lack of funding from the Local Government Sector Education Training Authority (LGSETA).

There are many opportunities for young graduates in transport planning because municipalities do not currently have the capacity. Municipalities generally rely on outside consultants to do this work and the quality of work generally varies from good to exceptionally poor and shoddy work.

Utmost importance will be placed on transport planners and transport economists. Transport planning should not be isolated from spatial planning as this influences the urbanisation of cities – which is happening at an increasingly rapid pace – and this has had a profound effect on city planning in South Africa. Pre-1994 it meant that the disenfranchised were far from work opportunities

Basic approaches to such planning exist – such as the Integrated Transport Plan – but skilled people in municipalities to implement them adequately are in short supply.

The programme curriculum of the envisaged transport engineering degree will support the National Development Plan and the National Transport Policy. The partnership between stakeholders in the transport engineering sector will also culminate in the creation of a networking platform between industry players and students for employment and placement opportunities.

If you want to be part of this future, take a look at our bursary and scholarship opportunities here.

Small Projects Bring BIG Advantages – Spotlight On Madidi Village

26Jan2016

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The country’s national road agency does not only handle massive construction projects. It also assists communities which live along its roads, creates jobs and boosts SMMEs.

It also is happy to be involved in smaller projects – but which have huge advantages for local people, such as in Madidi which is in the Madibeng Local Municipality.

Some time ago a local ward councillor (Suzan Nthangeni) approached SANRAL for assistance to upgrade a six kilometre stretch of gravel road, which is Madidi’s main entry and exit route. The road had deteriorated to such an extent that taxis, buses and delivery vehicles refused to use it, forcing residents to walk long distances in order to leave or enter the area.

SANRAL decided to assist as part of its policy to support job creation and community development.

It reached agreement with the North West province to re-lay the road with an asphalt surface at a cost of R30 million, with the province and SANRAL each contributing R15 million.

The partners identified 13 local contractors and put them through an accredited business training course. They were then registered as start-up contractors by the Construction Industry Development Board.

Supervisors were identified and trained, and about 600 local people were trained as road construction workers.

The opportunity created jobs for two years and the local economy was boosted. Public transport improved significantly and new taxis were purchased, car wash businesses were opened and other businesses started to thrive. Above all, contractors in the area were empowered with road construction skills.

The road was of officially handed to the community on 14 October 2011, where learner contractors were also given competency certificates.

The new road has brought significant benefits to the community. Examples include:

– Development of new skills, with a few contractors managing to secure additional work. SANRAL maintains a data base with contractor details and refers these to its own national road contractors who may need to subcontract work.

– Taxis, buses and delivery vehicles now use the road, and taxis have even lowered their fares to take into account the reduced wear and tear on their vehicles.

– Sidewalks and designated crossing points have improved pedestrian safety, particularly for school children.

Nthangeni, the ward councillor who initiated the project, has moved up and is now the Madibeng Municipality’s Member of Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Finance.

She says:

“SANRAL has really changed the lives of people in Madidi. We are proud to have worked with such an agency, which listens to the concerns of ordinary people and assists them. The road built by SANRAL in this village will remain its heritage and asset for many years to come.

The quality of the road itself is an indication of the efforts taken by the roads agency during its construction phase. The road has brought economic life to Madidi.

It has improved mobility, and above all, it has improved road safety in the area. Our sincere thanks to SANRAL and the North West Provincial Government for their excellent contribution in bringing about positive change in Madidi.”

SANRAL has undertaken similar projects but the Madidi road upgrade was particularly successful because of the strong provincial and local political support it received.

Blasting between Port Alfred to Fish River

12Jan2016

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SANRAL would like to notify motorists of travel delays on the R72 between Port Alfred and Fish River due to blasting taking place at Shaw Park quarry. The blasting will take place on Wednesday, 13 January 2016 at 3pm.

The Shaw Park quarry is situated next to the R72, near the intersection of the R72 with the gravel road leading to Shaw Park. The quarry extends from the SANRAL kilometre markers 20,800 to 21,200.

Motorists are requested to plan their trips accordingly and be cautious when making use of the road, and comply with the directions of safety personnel.

Roadworks continue in Port Elizabeth

12Jan2016

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SANRAL would like to advise motorists of roadworks taking place throughout this week in Port Elizabeth, within the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality in the Eastern Cape.

– Stanford undercuts started yesterday (Monday, 11 January 2016). There will be lane closures between the Stanford and William Moffett interchange in a westerly direction, with the double lane merging into a single traffic lane.
– Construction of concrete lined drains started yesterday (Monday, 11 January 2016) past the Bluewater Bay interchange in an easterly direction. There will be lane closures with a double lane being merged into a single traffic lane.
– Asphalt overlay is set to start today (Tuesday) or tomorrow (Wednesday) at Bluewater Bay in a westerly direction. There will be lane closures with the double lanes merged into a single traffic lane.

Motorists are urged to travel with caution, plan their trips in advance or take alternative routes.
Reduced speed limits will also be enforced.

AARTO amendment: the facts and not OUTA’s fiction

7Jan2016

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Failure to pay tolls has been an infringement under the AARTO legislation since 2008. To leave the impression, as OUTA does, that the regulatory changes to Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (AARTO) proposed in the Government Gazette on December 7 are new, is completely off the mark.

What the changes do mean, though, is positive for motorists – the only amendment to provisions relating to toll infringements is the removal of the demerit points for the failure to comply with a toll sign.

“It is a pity, then, that the Opposition to Urban Tolling (OUTA) negates this by its warning about a looming tax revolt. It completely misunderstands the proposed changes and its dire warnings are misplaced,” says Vusi Mona, General Manager of Communications at SANRAL.

“This is a clear case where a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.”

The facts are further that the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) proposes that AARTO notices should have room for notification of more than one infringement. This is legal. Should anybody wish to contest an infringement notice, photographic evidence on which this can be based, is available.

The other proposed amendment is regarding the extension of the period for service of an infringement notice from forty (40) to ninety (90) days. This is proposed to allow for a more practical arrangement that will ensure that alleged infringers receive notices within the service period.

“To connect any of this with e-tolling is another misjudgement – a multiple charge notice may be used by any issuing authority for any infringements. It is in fact simply a practical amendment that will save administrative and postal costs,” says Mona.

There is also confusion about the need to include the name of the magisterial district where the infringement occurred. This is not necessary in terms of the AARTO act but is in terms of the Criminal Procedure Act.

“These are the facts. Thus, there is no attempt to introduce any new provisions,” said Mona.

The sun lights the way as SANRAL protects the environment

5Jan2016

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The national roads agency is going solar.

Toll plazas managed by SANRAL and its concessionaires have, in the past, received their power from the national electricity grid. This power is used for the daily activities of the toll plazas – which operate on a 24/7 basis – as well as supporting infrastructure such as warehouses, training centres or workshops.

SANRAL made a decision to depart from a “business as usual” approach with the introduction of a solar plant at the Dalpark Plaza on the N17. This was a bold move as energy, and renewable energy, in particular, is outside SANRAL’s core business activities and primary areas of expertise.

The agency introduced the use of renewable energy sources in managing road infrastructure and activities as far back as 2008 with the use of Variable Message Signs (VMS) during the construction of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project. This was later extended to fixed points along some of the major corridors in Cape Town and Durban.

Subsequently, SANRAL introduced solar-powered toll plazas at two of its plazas. The Dalpark Plaza – a SANRAL-run plaza – uses a solar plant for its mainline toll plaza operations and the Diamond Hill Plaza (managed by TRAC) started using solar power as an alternative energy source in September 2014.

Solar panels on the top of the plaza collect sun power which is then converted into electricity to run the operational requirements of the plaza. At Dalpark, all the operations, as well as an adjacent workshop, are run using solar power during daytime. It generates 65 kilowatts of power into the grid (on average).

Diamond Hill generates up to 40 kilowatts of power for the grid and, depending on the weather conditions, has resulted in savings on energy of more than 50%. As such, solar power is used to run all operations.

The two plants serve as pilot projects and the objective is to roll out further solar powered toll plazas along the 3 120 kilometres of freeway that constitute SANRAL’s toll road portfolio.

In addition, energy-efficient lighting has been fitted to reduce consumption. This means that by replacing conventional luminaires with LED technology, the agency is able to save 30% of its power requirement. Had this not been done, far more solar panels would have had to be fitted at a much greater expense.

Meanwhile, as road construction and maintenance activities have an inevitable impact on the environment, SANRAL’s approach is to mitigate the impact of these activities with interventions such as the use of Reclaimed Asphalt (RA).

For example, in the rehabilitation of the N2 between Murchison and Marburg, the use of RA was specified at 40%, resulting in 40% less aggregate to be crushed, thus less basic rock excavated from quarries, and in turn less diesel was used in loading, transporting, and crushing of rock for aggregate, bitumen imports.

This translates to significant cost saving and also eliminates the need for disposal of used road building material, which means no requirement for landfilling which also comes at the usual costs of transport and space.

SANRAL has a dedicated environmental unit which oversees environmental impact assessment programmes prior to construction programmes and monitors the subsequent management of the construction process and gives input to maintenance programmes.

SANRAL’s approach is to go beyond compliance with the applicable national and provincial legislation. It is committed to an approach of ‘continual improvement’ that is demonstrated by the increasing use of renewable energy in road infrastructure management and reflected in its general environmental practices and support for research activities at tertiary institutions.

An example of this proactive approach is its early decision to completely eliminate tar products used for road construction and to switch to asphalt which is bitumen-based and more environmentally friendly

Construction projects on major roads such as the N2 in the Eastern Cape were accompanied by projects to relocate protected plants in collaboration with botany experts from the academic and research communities. Where required, road plans are changed to protect and conserve sensitive ecological areas.

SANRAL continues to conduct research into areas such as noise reduction caused by traffic on road surfaces and follows global trends in the sustainable management of road infrastructure.