Blog - Page 188 of 196 - SANRAL Stop Over

SANRAL reaches out to Mahikeng community

31Aug2015

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Today, SANRAL’s head of Northern Region, Mr Ismail Essa, hosted various stakeholders in the North West Province. The aim of the event was to engage them in the agency’s business. Guests – including business, government and ordinary citizens – gathered at Mmabatho Palms to hear how they can get involved and work together with SANRAL.

In his opening remarks, Mr Essa told the delegates that SANRAL regarded North West as a strategic province due to its significant contribution to the country’s economic development. He said the province has major tourist attractions including the world famous Sun City and game reserves. The province has a vibrant mining industry, which contributes 23.3% to the North West economy, and makes up more than a fifth of the South African mining industry as a whole.

The North West Province is part of the maize triangle of South Africa – alongside the Free State and Mpumalanga – and is the biggest producer of white maize in South Africa.

“In order for these sectors to thrive and prosper, they needed a safe, reliable, and world-class road infrastructure to support them. And that is exactly what SANRAL was offering to the communities of North West”

One flagship project currently under construction is the R 24 – a route, which was proclaimed a national road in 2012. The upgrades are done, in part, to create improved accessibility to adjacent properties, businesses and create potential for further development on vacant land, which will have a major impact on the growth of the economy.

“The R24 now falls under the jurisdiction of SANRAL and will be maintained and upgraded by the agency. This section is part of a network of 1 500km of North West provincial roads that was incorporated into the SANRAL road network”

SANRAL believes in the PPP model, and has implemented it successfully over the years. In North-West, SANRAL signed a contract with Bakwena Platinum Concession Consortium (Bakwena) in October 2000 to construct, manage, maintain and upgrade the N1 and N4 roads.

Bakwena has since upgraded the road network entrusted to it, improving it to world-class standards. Bakwena is also responsible for a 290 kilometre section of the N4 from Tshwane through Rustenburg and Zeerust to the Botswana border at Skilpadshek. Bakwena currently operates two traffic control centres on behalf of SANRAL: the Mantsole and Bapong traffic control centres.

The development of SMMEs forms part of SANRAL’s broader socio-economic development strategy. SANRAL procurement policy requires a certain percentage of work to be ring-fenced for SMMEs and BEE contractors. A significant percentage of the labour force employed on SANRAL projects is drawn from the local people living next to the network, ensuring that local communities enjoy the long-term economic benefits from SANRAL projects.

Essa also mentioned SANRAL’s commitment to the empowerment of individuals through skills development and education.

“The focus continues to be on addressing skills shortages in the engineering sector. The agency offers bursaries, scholarships and learnership opportunities to deserving students across the country. Most graduates end up being given employment opportunities at SANRAL”

SANRAL CEO, Mr Nazir Alli also attended the event accompanied by some of the board members.

“SANRAL is a well-run state entity with an impeccable track record of service delivery. As the implementers of government policy, we do not make decisions in a vacuum. We want to work and partner with all our stakeholders – government, business and communities. Continued support and co-operation from all our stakeholders is vital to making our work a success”

Women’s safety on our roads

27Aug2015

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A conversation brunch hosted by the South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (SANRAL) on women in road safety inspired song, laughter, understanding and knowledge.

Facilitator Nikiwe Bikitsha kicked-off the morning by reminding the audience of 90 women – all dressed with a touch of yellow in honour of the morning’s theme – that Women’s Month may almost be over, but that the struggle for equality is not.

“A lot more needs to be done, but we must lead the charge. It has to be done by us. It cannot be done for us. But today is a celebration of where our journey has brought us – enjoy it!”

Afro-pop group Afrotraction did so when they serenaded the audience with a medley of romantic songs that ended with a singalong.

The next speaker challenged the audience to be ambassadors for road safety. “As women, let the responsibility for road safety start with us – as mothers, as daughters, friends,” said SANRAL’s Gail Bester.

Bester shared some devastating facts on road deaths: South Africa averages 30 fatalities per 100 000 – the third highest in the world. SANRAL is actively engaged to remedy the situation through engineering and education.

“Research has proven that infrastructure plays a significant role in road safety and can reduce fatalities by between 20 to 90%. SANRAL works hard to build pedestrian bridges, walkways and other infrastructure where most needed. With regard to education, we go to schools and educate students and teachers to try and change road safety behaviour”

She highlighted the agency’s state of the art technology – its Intelligent Transport System which includes cameras that monitor the road network in major cities – for safety and security.

“One of these is on-road services through which in Gauteng has led to SANRAL responding to 90% of incidents. These services including towing services and medics-on-bikes. They do everything possible to ensure that patients are reached within the golden hour.”

The final speaker was non-profit organisation WheelWell’s Peggie Mars.

“We are women, we are mothers, we are powerful and we can change the prediction made by the World Health Organisation. They believe that road deaths will be the leading cause of deaths in children under the age of 5.”

Mars says that through educational programmes, promoting road safety awareness at home, addressing major risk factors (such as scholar transport) through legislation and enforcement, this is a tragedy societies can change.

The SANRAL Western Region gives back for Mandela Month & Women’s Month

24Aug2015

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On Thursday, 13 August, the SANRAL Western Region staff celebrated Mandela month and Women’s month by giving back to the community of Saamstaan township.

The Malmesbury Crime Reporting Centre is a joint effort by SANRAL, the Malmesbury Community Police Forum (CPF), the Swartland Municipality and MSS Security. The project is driven by the CFS and is lead by Mrs Slingers.

The project’s different partnerships came together to sponsor the community and shipping container to be made into a reporting and counselling centre.

The event involved all parties participation whereby the municipality provided the property and sewerage, the police provided the container and MSS Security provided two-way radios.

SANRAL ensured that the container was made usable by providing:
– Fencing and gates around the station
– Paint and painting
– Furniture
– Flooring
– Partitioning for a reporting and counselling room inside the container
– Flowers and trees

Thank you to all the SANRAL regions for taking part in International Nelson Mandela Day and contributing to the good of the nation. May we continue to make a difference in the lives of those in need.

A new expressway for the N3?

21Aug2015

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The N3 is part of government’s Strategic Infrastructure Project aimed at unblocking economic development and increasing capacity along key freight corridors in South Africa.

Communications Manager, Vusi Mona said the completion of the proposed highway, will reduce congestion on the current Van Reenen’s Pass route and will result in higher levels of safety, comfort and productivity for all road users.

The existing Van Reenen’s Pass route, built in 1961, is unable to effectively handle the growth in traffic volumes. This has resulted in scores of fatalities and road users being inconvenienced through sporadic road closures.

The new route will be 15 km shorter, its grades will be much flatter and its alignment will be much smoother without the sharp and many curves of the existing N3 route. This will save time in service delivery and improve safety as a result of the reduction in accidents.

Construction of the expressway route is key to the development of the Durban-Free State-Gauteng logistics and industrial corridor, which is vital to the future of the national and regional economies. This new project will not result in additional toll plazas along the N3.

SANRAL is part of the Imbizo in Harrismith convened by Transport Minister Dipuo Peter. She will lead the consultation with the Free State Provincial Government and stakeholders in the community.

“We don’t want this to be a project done to the people but with the people’’

For more stories like these, find our By The Way publications here: http://bit.ly/1fB3Lay

The N4 is said to be “A really safe road”

19Aug2015

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This year marked the third consecutive year of no fatalities ensued over the Easter weekend on the N4, a national route for which Trans African Concessions (TRAC) is responsible.

Most plazas reached highest traffic flow figures ever recorded and through teamwork, TRAC was able to promote and monitor road safety along the route running from Pretoria to the Mozambican border.

The TRAC Easter Rescue and Road Safety Campaign played a key role in keeping the N4 fatality-free. Mpumalanga Emergency Services and TRAC Assist teams were stationed at Alzu Petroport near Middelburg and smaller units deployed to strategic points along. The initiative encouraged road law enforcement for road users and safety.

The visibility of authorities minimised the response time of road accidents which in turn reduced traffic flow disruption. This achievement would not have been possible without the cooperation of the road users.

For more stories like these, find our By The Way publications here: http://bit.ly/1fB3Lay

SANRAL’s Commitment to the Free State

11Aug2015

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SANRAL does not only build some of the best roads in the world, it is proud of its long-standing tradition of doing so much more – education, skills transfer, assisting SMMEs, investing in communities and road safety.

Education

SANRAL’s close partnership with the University of the Free State sees a new chair in science, mathematics and technology education as SANRAL contributed R30 million over five years to the project.

This is in addition to its long-standing joint initiative with the university to boost science and mathematics amongst school learners as well as its scholarship programme which was launched in 2008.

Growing Businesses

When SANRAL constructs new roads and maintains existing ones, communities along these roads are engaged and given a leg-up.

SMMEs are contracted to do some of the work to boost their knowledge and abilities and thus create employment.

The workers are educated so that skills are left behind when the construction work has been completed and finding a new job will be easier.

Road Infrastructure

SANRAL’s primary responsibilities lie with the roads that fall under its jurisdiction. SANRAL is particularly committed to the Free State and can be seen by the 28 projects the road agency is involved in, which are at various stages of development.

The agency is upgrading and building some roads, while it is also doing periodic maintenance, building new interchanges and pedestrian facilities and improving a traffic control centre.

Fundamentally, SANRAL stands for excellent roads and meaningful community engagement and SANRAL’s presence in the Free State is a prime example of this.

For more stories like these, find our By The Way publications here: http://bit.ly/1fB3Lay

SANRAL not only builds roads but businesses too

11Aug2015

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SANRAL aims to always use SMMEs to help them grow their business and transfer skills to help the business flourish after their contracts with the road agencies end.

One such SMME is Vukuzenzele Trading Corporation which specialises in Routine Road Maintenance (RRM) projects.

“Our primary responsibility is to maintain and repair roads. The standard of roads that SANRAL aspires to is very high and so as subcontractors, we need to ensure we continuously deliver according to specifications”

At the outset, Vukuzenzele did not own any equipment but now, thanks to SANRAL, the business has its own, which has helped to reduce the cost of hiring equipment dramatically.

SANRAL’s Coaching Guiding and Mentoring (CGM) system of implementation made it possible for Vukuzenzele to access skilled people to assist with executing project work effectively whilst also ensuring that the overall objectives are met.

“The CGM system allows for the subcontractor to work under the guidance of a main contractor in all of its activities including admin related tasks. You are groomed to be in control of your business”

Johnny Mofokeng, owner of Vukuzenzele, commends SANRAL for the outstanding work it is doing on South Africa’s roads and thanked the agency for the opportunity to be part of projects that are enhancing road safety and improving the lives of communities and people.

For more stories like these, find our By The Way publications here: http://bit.ly/1fB3Lay

Saving Leopards along the N4

11Aug2015

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The Bakwena Platinum Corridor Concessionaire embarked on a joint research project in 2014 with the North West Province Department of Environment, Economic Development, Conservation & Tourism to track the movements of leopards in the Magaliesberg.

Four leopards were rescued from a game farm and three were subsequently released.

Bakwena sponsored a two tracking collar that were attached to female leopards in 2014 and they were released. These collars aid in gathering useful information for the conservation and the GPS data and camera footage is constantly analyzed to improve management plans for leopards.

A further achievement is that a total ban on hunting leopards in the Magaliesberg area has been enforced, and this is to ensure sufficient breeding takes place in the Magaliesberg mountains – a stronghold for this species.
Bakwena is responsible for the N4, from Pretoria right to the Botswana border.

For more stories like these, find our By The Way publications here: http://bit.ly/1fB3Lay

Reconstructing the R37 for a safer road

11Aug2015

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The bad road conditions that have plagued the R37 will soon be a thing of the past. SANRAL is currently undertaking a major makeover of the road, which connects Polokwane with Nelspruit via Burgersfort and Lydenburg.

SANRAL appointed G4 Civils/Jodan Construction Joint Venture for the reconstruction of the R37 and reconstruction started in March 2014.

The project is approximately 80% finished and will be ready by December this year.

The upgrades include:

– Partial reconstruction of the road pavement

– The widening of the traffic lanes and shoulders of the road

– The provision of new surfacing over a distance of some 36km

– A number of safety improvements will be implemented as well

Project Manager, Hannes van der Merwe, stated that a number of job opportunities were created during the reconstruction and the local communities from Burgersfort and Lydenburg benefitted from this project.

“The community further benefitted through skills training and development during the construction.”

The reconstruction of the road is said to come at a price, both financially and in terms of travel time delays. SANRAL strongly appeals to the public to be patient and continue obeying the rules of the road during reconstruction.

“We are all looking forward to the successful completion of the R37 road between Burgersfort and Lydenburg”

For more stories like these, find our By The Way publications here: http://bit.ly/1fB3Lay

Why it is important to understand road funding

11Aug2015

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SANRAL roads are funded in three ways – an annual budget allocation from the Treasury, public-private partnerships and the issuance of bonds and loans.

It is important to note that there is not enough money in the national budget alone to fund all the building, upgrading and maintaining of the national road network.

The budget allocation for this year is R12.5 billion and goes to the 85% of SANRAL roads, which are not tolled. The other 15% are tolled roads which are run by concessionaires or, as is the case on the inner Gauteng highways, through e-tolling.

Cross-subsidisation is not allowed so the toll roads have to be self-funding, thus the issuance of bonds and loans. The revenue thus generated then services these roads.

SANRAL sells bonds at monthly auctions to raise funds for toll roads only. Funding provided by Treasury is insufficient and ring-fenced for non-toll roads. The funds are required to cover all costs for operations, maintenance of roads as well the repayment of debt and interest thereon.

But what is bond auctioning?

Basically, a bond auction is where individuals or companies (called investors) buy your debt by bidding a price on how much (volume) they will lend to you.

SANRAL re-entered the bond market after a two-and-a-half year absence, with a highly successful bond auction that was held in April 2014, after it had decided to suspend them in September 2011 when that bond auction failed.

The bond with the longest maturity is the HWAY35, which matures in 2035. It last went to the bond market in February 2015 and will resume doing so now that changes to the e-toll system have been finalised.

For more stories like these, find our By The Way publications here: http://bit.ly/1fB3Lay