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MEDIA RELEASE

SANRAL road maintenance projects bring joy of jobs and smooth roads to Kroonstad this festive season

Free State, 12 December 2022 – Empowering women and young South Africans is a key focus of the Routine Road Management (RRM) projects run by the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL). The projects create stimulating job opportunities for black-owned SMMEs, identified from within the areas of work, and specifically target groups such as women, youth, people with disabilities and other disadvantaged groups – in line with SANRAL’s transformation goals.

Through a plethora of development and engineering programmes, ordinary people receive invaluable training and skills transfer – which can then be paid forward to build better lives for themselves. RRM projects starting up in Kroonstad, in the Free State, were welcomed like Manna from heaven, especially with the festive season looming large. The rampant poverty in Kroonstad bears stark testament to the town’s staggering 65% unemployment rate. SANRAL’s interventions in Kroonstad, and the Free State at large, not only bring the joy of jobs to the province, but they also mean that the roads around Kroonstad, expected to be teeming with tourists driving the Lion Route this holiday season, will also be in excellent condition.

Civil engineer Youthful Sesele, 34, was recently awarded a maintenance contract to do RRM work on the N1 along the Kroonstad by-pass. He employed 13 local people on the project: 10 men and 3 women. Of the 13 workers, 10 were young people. “I am from Mangaung; when I got the contract in the Fezile Dabi District, I decided to hire locals from the area so that they could fully benefit from the opportunity,” Sesele said. Sesele said he was impressed by how SANRAL engaged SMMEs, hosting several business engagement sessions to share information and provide the training needed to correctly bid for the subcontracting opportunities available on the RRM projects. “This has been critical in ensuring the development of black-owned businesses, particularly those owned by women and youth, to participate meaningfully on SANRAL projects,” said Sesele. He added that a key focus of engagements was documentation education: common errors when bidding included the submission of expired or non-compliant documents, work packages and work scopes. “Mostly, I was fascinated by the training and skills development for the appointed subcontractors, which included among other things, first-aid training and occupational health and safety. “I know of no other company that will offer you such an opportunity and assist you with the training of your personnel in such ways – as a prerequisite of the contract,” said Sesele.

Nomutu Msibi, 37, of MJNJ Construction, who was recently a drainage and culvert cleaning and litter collection subcontract on the R34 between Kroonstad and Welkom, could barely contain her excitement. “I am proud that this project has helped me to create work for five people in an area where almost 65% of youth are unemployed. This project will uplift young people and create much-needed jobs.” Deon

Breytenbach of QTC Civils, the contracts manager on the Kroonstad project, broke down how the SMME engagements worked: “Business owners attended business management, tendering skills and financial management training. “This led to the creation of sustainable, capable and empowered road construction SMMEs and startups.” Breytenbach added the scope of work for the CIDB Grades 1 and 2 – entry-level work – included cleaning and maintaining of prefabricated culverts, concrete drains and channels, edge build-up removal, collection and removal of debris and litter, subsoil drain installation and maintenance, cleaning of waterway structures, erection and repair of permanent road traffic signs, concrete channel construction and maintenance of existing channels.

SANRAL’s SMME training programmes on three Kroonstad RRM projects empowered 12 local business owners of construction SMMEs and new startups (CIDB levels 1 – 3). SANRAL has appointed highly experienced and qualified training service providers tasked with training, mentoring and developing learner sub-contractors. SANRAL also prepared local labour forces for these SMMEs by training them and, in turn, helping create a local skilled and semi-skilled labour force for the three Kroonstad projects. SMMEs that employed their own labour from local communities were also supported as their labour forces received accredited training. During the year under review SANRAL provided 1 684 SMMEs with work on construction, rehabilitation and maintenance projects across South Africa to the tune of R2,3 billion. The majority of black-owned SMMEs derived significant benefit from this, as they accounted for 88.05% of the contracts awarded and 89.6% of the value of the work performed.
Of the 9 129 jobs created in the reporting period, 6 647 were for men and 2 482 for women. A breakdown based on age reveals that 3 096 young men and 1 339 young women were beneficiaries. From a disability perspective, 62 people with disabilities were employed. In terms of SANRAL’s contract participation goals, the aim for targeted enterprises is 30%, which includes women and youth-owned businesses at 5% each, and the military veterans and people with disabilities each get 0,5%.

 

 

MEDIA RELEASE

Repair work on bridge B582, St Georges Interchange and R335 Overpass

The location of Bridge B582 is indicated on the image.

Eastern Cape, 5 January 2023: The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) will commence emergency repair work on bridge number B582 – St Georges Strand (R335) Overpass (Markman off-ramp) – on National Route N2 Section 11, east of Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape. Work is scheduled to commence today, Thursday, 5 January 2023, and the estimated completion date is end of May 2023.

The bridge suffered significant structural damage on Saturday, 19 February 2022, when a truck carrying a load which exceeded its height restriction struck the deck slab beams while travelling on the westbound carriageway of the N2.

“Repair work will be undertaken by the appointed Contractor, Civils2000, who advertised packages for targeted enterprises commencing on 30 September 2022. Approximately seven targeted enterprises will be appointed. Remedial works to Bridge B582 comprise repairs to damaged structural concrete elements and the construction of a new pre-stressed concrete beam,” said Mbulelo Peterson, SANRAL Southern Region Manager.

The westbound carriageway (into Gqeberha) will be closed for the duration of repairs. There will be a single lane in both east and west directions along a portion of the eastbound carriageway, to allow the emergency bridge repairs to be performed.

The extent of the damage.

This deviation is expected to be in operation for approximately three-and-a-half months from February 2023 until early May 2023. Single lane, two-way traffic would be controlled by way of temporary accommodation of traffic signage devices for the full duration of repairs. Speed will be reduced to 40km/hr within the single lane two-way traffic deviation zone and work area. “We appeal to motorists to be patient and adhere to the traffic accommodation signage and speed limit, and to not overtake within the single lane, two-way traffic zone,” said Peterson.

MEDIA RELEASE 

First day in office for new SANRAL CEO  

Pretoria, 3 January 2023 – Today marks the first day in office for its new CEO, Mr Reginald Lavhelesani Demana, the Board of the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has announced.

“Not only are we ushering in a New Year, but also a time for new and fresh leadership in the position of a CEO, taking SANRAL into 2023 and beyond,” said Mr Themba Mhambi, SANRAL Board Chairperson.

Mr Demana was formerly a Divisional Executive at the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa SOC Limited (IDC), a state-owned development finance institution, where he was responsible for a portfolio that covers mining, metals, infrastructure and energy. He is a trained engineer with more than 20 years’ working experience with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, structuring of BEE deals, capital raising and general strategic corporate finance.

Accessibility to stakeholders, infrastructure improvement and transformation in the industry, are some of the priorities that will require the CEO’s immediate attention, notwithstanding all the other focus areas that make up this exciting, yet challenging portfolio.

“SANRAL remains front and centre in leading South Africa’s economic recovery plan post Covid-19, with public infrastructure development prioritised by our government. To this end, our stakeholders will look to Mr Demana to continue on this trajectory and make every effort to see more projects put out to tender this year.”

The Board wishes Mr Demana well and pledges its support as he sets out to implement the agency’s mandate to plan, build and maintain the national road network with the excellence associated with SANRAL.

MEDIA RELEASE 

SANRAL condemns criminal activity at toll plazas

Gauteng, 24 December 2023 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) strongly condemns all criminal activity on the road network and is working with the police to shed light on a  recent hijacking at a toll plaza. A video clip of the said incident has been circulating on social media platforms.

All toll plazas are under 24-hour security camera surveillance and SANRAL will share all information at its disposal with police to aid the investigation.

“While we can reduce the motivation to commit crime, by increasing our security measures at toll plazas, we cannot police someone’s intention to commit a crime. We therefore appeal to road users to always be vigilant and aware of threats to their security in any location,” said Vusi Mona, SANRAL General Manager for Communications and Marketing.

SANRAL’s camera network across the country has assisted police in their investigations and securing convictions of criminals on a number of occasions and the agency will continue to work with law enforcement agencies to create safer spaces for all road users.

 

 

MEDIA RELEASE
SANRAL ready for Gauteng road safety initiatives ahead of festive season

Gauteng, 23 December 2022 – As traffic volumes swell on South Africa’s major routes in anticipation of holidaymakers leaving the industrial hubs of Gauteng for different coastal and rural destinations this festive season, the South African National Roads Agency Limited SOC (SANRAL) has assured motorists that our roads will be safe and ready to accommodate the holiday traffic.

More assuring is that operators at the SANRAL Traffic Management Centre (STMC) will be vigilantly keeping an eagle’s eye via visual surveillance of Gauteng’s freeway network to detect incidents and manage traffic flows.

The STMC operates 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, to ensure travellers reach their destinations safely while various strategically-placed roadblocks are set-up across the province to ensure that vehicles are roadworthy.

The cutting-edge technology used to monitor the highways forms part of SANRAL’s Freeway Management System (FMS) and will be combined with the quick action of various Metro police departments across the province to intercept hijackers, drunk motorists, hitchhikers, overloaded vehicles and any suspicious activity on the roads.

One of the benefits of the FMS is that the comprehensive monitoring system can detect crashes, stationary vehicles, veld fires and hijackings.
SANRAL’s Northern Regions Operations and Maintenance Manager Madoda Mthembu said in Gauteng, despite the ongoing 18-month N4 rehabilitation works taking place between the Doornkop Tollgate in Montana, north of Tshwane and the R80 Mabopane Highway, the work that is being carried out in approximate 5km blocks is progressing well.

“And there will be very little disruptions on the N4 and no stop-and-go areas for Gauteng highways during the festive season.
“The N4 will by and large be open in both directions – to Botswana and Mozambique – from Gauteng and there is currently no construction work on the N3 to Durban,” said Mthembu.

He added that, while Moloto Road spanned over three provinces – Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Gauteng – there are no road construction activities in the Gauteng side. The N1 from Pretoria to Limpopo and all other major routes are also expected to be clear.
Mthembu issued a clarion call to holidaymakers and motorists to adhere to all traffic rules and regulations, and respect the speed limits while those travelling long distances to rest every two hours or 200km.

“People should also be extra vigilant after sunset and be on the lookout for trucks which are prone to dropping off objects on the roads.
“We have erected traffic signs with the cell number of route managers who should be contacted when you see foreign objects on the road. The route managers are obliged to activate a rapid response team that will clear the road,” he said.

SANRAL, which is the lead agency implementing the government’s Vala Zonke project, which aims to repair all potholes across the country by February next year, has joined hands with the Gauteng provincial government and its major metro municipalities to fix all roads and improve the safety of travellers.

SANRAL, in conjunction with these municipalities, have already made great progress on Routine Road Maintenance (RRM) projects across Gauteng’s three metropolitan areas of Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg and Tshwane.

The national road agency has four RRM projects within the Gauteng province – in the Tshwane Metropolitan area’s N4, N1, R2, R104 and R573 which is commonly known as Moloto Road; the Johannesburg metropolitan area’s N1, N3, N12 and the N17; in the Ekurhuleni metropolitan area’s R21, N12, N3 as well as the N17; and under the Merafong Municipality within the West Rand District Municipality on the N12, R500, R54, R501, and N14.

These Gauteng municipalities are not only strategic partners of SANRAL but are also part of the National Department of Transport’s arsenal of interventions aimed at delivering a reduction of 25% of fatalities on our roads.

The road construction industry will shut down operations for nearly three weeks during the festive season – with no routine road maintenance anticipated on the road network during this time, but should an emergency arise, such as the development of a pothole, urgent road maintenance arrangements will be made to attend to it.

Motorists are therefore urged to be patient in areas where roadworks will continue over December and also to rest, obey speed limits, and look out for pedestrians.

Major roads such as the N3 between Durban and Johannesburg, the N1 between Polokwane and Pretoria, The N4 between Mpumalanga and Pretoria, the N4 between Rustenburg and Pretoria, and the N1 between Bloemfontein and Johannesburg are expected to be heavily congested.

Meanwhile, Gauteng Traffic Police spokesperson Sello Maremane warned motorists to be extra vigilant when driving on the highways after several people complained about spikes and rocks being thrown into the roads.

The SANRAL on-road service is on standby all day, and operates on portions of the N1, N3, N12 and R21 national roads. Motorists can call the control centre on 0800 487 233.

MEDIA RELEASE 

SANRAL and Northern Cape Government working together for safer roads

Northern Cape, 23 December 2023 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has joined hands with provincial road authorities to ensure that thousands of travellers using the Northern Cape’s roads to get to families and holiday destinations, do so safely.

SANRAL and the Northern Cape Government have announced that its multi-disciplinary teams would be deployed around the clock to ensure safety and to respond to any calls for assistance from motorists.

These enhanced efforts over the festive period follows the implementation of Operation Vala Zonke, which saw scores of potholes being repaired in the Northern Cape to ensure the safety of motorists.

SANRAL’s Western Region Manager, Randall Cable, said emergency contracts had been awarded to attend to some urgent road safety concerns on certain strategic roads in the Northern Cape, that now fall under SANRAL’s jurisdiction.

“We have appointed emergency teams to conduct route patrols, spot and remove debris, deal with pothole and edge break repairs, and grass cutting to ensure proper sight distances for motorists on these newly incorporated routes. This will address some of the road safety engineering concerns immediately, especially with potholes being a significant road safety risk. Through the Road Incident Management System (RIMS) our RRM teams will be working closely with emergency teams throughout the festive season to respond to any incident on the roads, assist with road closures and reopening of the road once an incident is cleared,” said Cable.

He said various emergency centres will also be operational during this time.

“Road users are also reminded of the various emergency numbers at Central Communications Centres (CCCs). The centre for Kimberley can be contacted on 053 831 1954/5, Calvinia 027 341 1414, De Aar 053 631 0088, Springbok 027 712 2790, Upington 10111 and Kuruman 053 712 0599,” he said.

Cable urged all road users to adhere to the rules of the road in order to increase the safety of this shared space.

“While SANRAL is committed to engineering safer roads, the cooperation of each road user is critical if we are to curb the spate of lives lost on our roads every year. As road users, we need to take individual responsibility to make better road safety choices. From a road authority perspective, we need to create an environment that is more conducive to compliance, rather than seek to blame and punish road users in response to crashes on our roads. Together we can reduce the carnage on our roads,” he said.

With a total of 65 road crash fatalities recorded during the 2021 festive season, the Northern Cape Department of Transport, Safety and Liaison has revealed that it will focus on high-accident routes in the province, in an attempt to decrease the number of deaths on its roads during the 2022 festive season.

The MEC of Transport,  Safety and Liaison, Nomandla Bloem, launched the Arrive Alive Road Safety Campaign on the N14 in Kuruman on 8 December 2022. Bloem said 106 traffic officials will be deployed on the province’s roads during this festive season. “We have identified eight critical accident-prone routes which are the R31, that includes the towns of Hotazel, Kuruman, Danielskuil, Barkley West and Kimberley; the N8 which includes Warrenton, Jan Kempdorp, Hartswater and Taung; the N12 in Kimberley, Warrenton, Modderrivier, Britstown and Three Sisters; the N14 along Kuruman, Kathu, Olifantshoek and Upington; the N8 in Groblershoop and Kimberley; the R385 in Olifantshoek, Postmasburg and Danielskuil; the N10 through Upington, Groblershoop, Britstown and De Aar, and the N1 in Colesberg, Richmond and Three Sisters.

“Although we will be heightening operations along these routes, we urge the public to consider every road in every corner of the province as an area where an accident might occur. Traffic Centres will submit daily reports to the Provincial Office, which will then submit to Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) for National consolidation,” said Bloem.

She said that the directive from the Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula is to reduce road fatalities by 25% this year.

“Our fatal crashes are caused mainly by human factors. Some of these are driving or walking under the influence of alcohol, speeding, cell phone use while driving, not wearing seatbelts, dangerous overtaking, unroadworthy vehicles, pedestrian negligence, fatigue, vehicle overloading and jaywalking. The most affected road user groups in crashes, according to the 2020 RTMC Calendar Report, are pedestrians and passengers, which constitutes 39.8% and 29.6% respectively. Drivers account for 29.2% of fatalities. As per our analysis, we appeal to our road users to remain vigilant, especially Thursday night until Friday morning and Sunday night until Monday morning, especially between the hours of 4pm and 2am,” Bloem said.

Bloem added that road users who do not adhere to the rules of the road, will be harshly dealt with. “Our operations will involve multi-disciplinary teams and strategies tailor-made for this time of the year. Our broad Operational Plan and Road Safety Education Operations demand that all Law Enforcement Officers and stakeholders be on the roads to ensure we achieve reductions in fatalities and accidents, as always, with a zero-tolerance approach to lawlessness. The objectives of this campaign are to reduce road crashes and fatalities, to focus on road safety education through maximising communication on the enforcement and road safety issues as well as to promote good road user behaviour,” Bloem concluded.

MEDIA RELEASE 

Mpumalanga Festive Road Safety

Mpumalanga, 23 December 2022 – With traffic volumes surging in Mpumalanga as thousands of travellers flock to the province’s many famous tourist spots, the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has shifted its road safety programme into top gear to ensure a joyous holiday season.

Madoda Mthembu, National Operations and Maintenance manager for SANRAL’s Northern Region, said the roads agency had appointed maintenance contractors to monitor the condition of roads daily, considering the heightened volumes of traffic expected over the peak December period in the province.

Mthembu also said that extra attention had been paid to pothole repairs and Route Patrol Service contractors were on duty to ensure main routes were safe for travellers.

He encouraged motorists to report any issues to Route Managers who supervise maintenance projects along SANRAL roads.

“We’ve put up signs with their contact details so they can be easily notified and quickly attend to issues that may arise.”

Routes expected to see the highest high traffic volumes include the N2, N4, N17, R23 and the R40.

These roads were also identified by the provincial Department of Health as being among the “hot spots” for medical emergencies and as such Emergency Medical Services (EMS) units have been strategically deployed in these areas to aid rapid response.

“We will continue to ensure our visibility and emergency preparedness geared towards rapid response to emergencies in these hot spots throughout the festive season,” said Mpumalanga Health MEC Sasekani Manzini.

Madoda counted the maintenance of road infrastructure, particularly the prevention of potholes, to be among the greatest challenges faced by SANRAL, due to the age and condition of certain roads.

However, he also emphasised that the roads agency was committed to repairing potholes and had partnered with the national Department of Transport on Operation Vala Zonke, to fix all potholes in the country by next February.

The newly developed Karino Interchange is also expected to ease traffic congestion along the N4 route from Mbombela to Nkomazi, while allowing residents from the bustling township of Kanyamazane and surrounding areas to safely and conveniently access the N4.

In promoting road safety, Madoda pointed to a collaborative approach with various government departments to quickly mitigate any incidents that may occur. This approach was also highlighted by Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) Acting CEO, Mduduzi Vilakazi, during the launch of the Provincial Tourism Safety campaign.

Vilakazi said the MTPA had collaborated with the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison and the South African Police Service (SAPS) to create awareness around the importance of ensuring that tourists are safe during this busy period.

“As one of Mpumalanga’s biggest economic drivers, the tourism sector is deeply intertwined with the state of roads and how we support visitors and residents of this province,” said Vilakazi.

“The MTPA has deployed Tourism Safety Monitors to strategic and high-volume locations around the province. The tourism safety monitors have been sharing vital safety tips and travel guide material with travellers since early December and will continue acting as an added layer of protection for tourists during the festive season.”

Tourism routes and destinations expected to attract a high volume of visitors this festive season include the ever-popular Panorama Route where visitors can marvel at some of Mpumalanga’s most iconic waterfalls during their peak season.

Through the Vala Zonke campaign, SANRAL has significantly reduced the number of potholes in the Graskop region, making for a much smoother driving experience for road users.

Sibusiso Ngwenya, a tour operator regularly taking tourists through the region, said he was happy with the progress so far.

“We no longer have the fear of potholes damaging our vehicles and visitors can enjoy much more pleasant trips,” he said.

The Hazyview area, including the Kruger National Park, are another firm favourite where visitors can try their luck at spotting the Big Five in their natural habitat or opt to engage in the many activities Hazyview offers to both leisure and adventure travellers.

Madoda urged motorists to stay alert at all times and adhere to the rules of the road to minimise road accidents.

SANRAL has shared the following Road Safety tips to road users.

• Take breaks regularly as a tired driver is as bad as a drunk driver
• Everyone in a moving vehicle should be wearing a seatbelt
• Maintain a safe following distance at all times
• Unexpected failure in a vehicle?
  • Turn on the hazard lights
  • Remain in your vehicle with your seat belt fastened

 

MEDIA RELEASE
SANRAL keeps Limpopo roads safe this festive season

Limpopo, 23 December 2022 – With travellers making their way to different parts of Limpopo this festive season, the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has been busy fixing potholes, resurfacing roads and erecting and maintaining road signs across the province – all to ensure that families get to their destinations safe and sound.

The province recently launched its integrated Festive Season Safety Campaign near the Zion City (Moria), which seeks to promote safety on the roads and curb criminal activities.

SANRAL and the Limpopo provincial government are hard at work ensuring that the N1 from Pretoria to the Beitbridge Border post runs smoothly and safely this festive season.

A significant number of potholes in Limpopo have already been repaired as part of Operation Vala Zonke, a joint venture between the national Department of Transport and SANRAL The province has set itself a target of fixing 180 000 square metres of potholes by the end of January next year.

SANRAL’s Northern Regional Manager, Progress Hlahla, said: “We have improved road safety for road users in different districts of Limpopo to ensure that holiday traffic flows smoothly.

“The agency has managed to create a safer environment for motorists and general road users as the identified roads are now smooth. The road surfaces are well kept with neat lane markings, additional road signs, and painting of road markings to improve the safety of both vehicles and pedestrians.”

Limpopo Transport and Community Safety MEC Florence Radzilani commended SANRAL for constructing state-of-the-art roads in the province.

She also assured holidaymakers that their safety is a top priority and a contingent of law enforcement officers would “be out 24 hours” to ensure visitors have an enjoyable stay.

Said Radzilani: “Limpopo is among the top five provinces in the country with the highest number of fatalities, along with KZN, Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape.

“Currently, the R71 is the second most dangerous road nationally when it comes to pedestrians who are killed by motor vehicles.”
“What makes Limpopo different from other parts of the country is the N1, which connects South Africa and Zimbabwe and the rest of the African continent.

“Motorists coming from Gauteng may use the Polokwane Eastern Ring Road to avoid congestion in town. The same applies to those travelling to Zimbabwe; they can use the recently opened Musina Ring Road to avoid congestion in the border town.

“SANRAL constructed awesome driving roads and I believe that holidaymakers will enjoy the ride.”

Radzilani said she would be joining traffic officials on road safety operations throughout the province and warned motorists not to drink and drive.

MEDIA RELEASE

NORTH WEST HOLIDAY TRAVELLERS CAN EXPECT A SMOOTH RIDE, THANKS TO SANRAL AND OPERATION VALA ZONKE

North West, 21 December 2022 – Holidaymakers travelling in the North West province this month can expect a smooth ride according to the South African National Roads Agency Limited SOC Limited (SANRAL).
The roads agency, together with the North West Department of Public Works and Roads, has halted construction work on all major routes in the province to ease traffic congestion during the festive rush.

Thousands of travellers are expected to take to major routes in the North West such as the N12 and N14 as they make their way home or to holiday destinations.

Road users will also feel the benefits of Operation Vala Zonke, the national Department of Transport’s pothole fixing campaign, which is being driven by SANRAL.

The aim of the initiative is to repair all potholes across the country by February next year, in conjunction with provincial governments and district and local municipalities.
The North West set itself a pothole repair target of 61 000m² over four districts and has made significant progress in fixing roads in the province.

Madoda Mthembu, operations and maintenance manager for SANRAL’s Northern Region road network – which spans the provinces of Gauteng, North West, Limpopo and Mpumalanga – assured motorists that there were no major road construction projects in the North West from the borders of Gauteng to the Northern Cape or through to Botswana.

“There will be slight routine road maintenance activities to patch emergency potholes on the N12 and N14, but there are no stop-and-go disruptions.

“The pothole repair teams will only be there for a day or two, for real emergencies.

“Meanwhile, on the R504 between Wolmaransstad and Leeudoringstad, there is some road construction that could cause some stop-and-go situations, if the contractor does not provide bypasses. But the roads should generally be quite open,” Mthembu said.

SANRAL started its preparations months ahead of the festive road frenzy, responding to urgent calls such as one for the resurfacing and repair of the R504 between Wolmaransstad and Schweizer-Reneke.

The R504 is a major provincial road that connects the agricultural towns of Leeudoringstad, Wolmaransstad, Schweizer-Reneke and Greater-Taung in the North West to the agricultural hub of Bothaville in the Free State, as well as the iron-ore mining operations in Kuruman, Kathu and Postmasburg in the Northern Cape.

Long stretches of the busy road, that bears the transit burden of thousands of vehicles a month – mainly heavy freight, impacted on the condition of the road.

The current construction work being undertaken by SANRAL will address the condition of the road and lead to improved riding quality for the drivers. This will ultimately improve road safety in line with SANRAL’s strategic objectives for the national road network.
Following Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula’s call for intervention on the N12, SANRAL mobilised a rapid response team to deal with the identified issues on the national route.

The agency also mobilised its routine road maintenance teams and the existing contractors in the vicinity of the N12 to assist.
As part of the Provincial Accelerated Service Delivery Plan to rid the province of the scourge of recurring potholes, the North West provincial government, through its Department of Public Works and Roads, launched a Zero Tolerance Drive Against Potholes in July.
Over R120 million had been set aside for the project, which is currently in full swing across the North West province.

Holidaymakers heading to Sun City outside Rustenburg do not have to worry about their tyres after a public-private partnership in July resulted in the repair of numerous potholes along the 75km stretch of the R556 which leads to the internationally popular resort.
Bakwena Platinum Corridor Concessionaire, which manages the N1 between Pretoria and Bela Bela in Limpopo, and the N4 going west from Pretoria to the Botswana border, has assured motorists that they are working tirelessly to keep delays on the ongoing 18-month N4 rehabilitation to a minimum.

Work is taking place between Majakaneng and Bapong, and Bakwena has pledged to return the road to full capacity as soon as possible.

“Road safety remains, as always, our top priority. In order to ensure this, we request that you partner with us and adhere to road signs, obey speed regulations and exercise caution,” said Solomon Kganyago, chief operating officer at Bakwena.

SANRAL and Western Cape traffic authorities working hard to ensure holiday travellers arrive alive

Western Cape, 22 December 2023 – After a long, hard year South Africans are looking forward to the festive season, ready to let their hair down and hit the road to holiday destinations across the country. It’s a time to relax and let go of the year’s stresses and strains.

But, if there’s one thing that can be an obstacle – literally – to such carefree plans, it’s the long road to getting there. Think delays at Stop/Go signs and yawning waits in the baking sun, ponder potholes, roadworks that stretch for kilometres… and soon that much anticipated seaside sojourn starts to feel more like sand grating your brain in the desert.

Luckily, if you are driving through the Western Cape, you are in for an easy ride that authorities are working hard to ensure is safe and without delays.

The roads most popularly used in the province for vacation destinations include:

• N1 from Cape Town, through the Karoo, onto Johannesburg, Polokwane, and eventually to Beit Bridge on the Zimbabwe border;
• N2 from Cape Town, through George, Gqeberha, East London, Durban and then Ermelo;
• N7 from Cape Town, through the West Coast, onto Namaqualand and ends at the Namibian border.

The South African National Road Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) manages all national roads in the province and said it takes a holistic approach all year round to making these roads safer – including self-explaining and forgiving well maintained roadways that reduce the risk of road fatalities on the national road network.

SANRAL has also partnered with the national Department of Transport on Operation Vala Zonke, a project that aims to fix all potholes across the country by February next year.

The initiative was launched in Johannesburg by Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula in August.

SANRAL Western Region Manager, Randall Cable said: “SANRAL is the implementing agency on Vala Zonke, working with provincial and municipal departments to address pothole patching, so the work is ongoing with the departments attending to their potholes.”

Cable said SANRAL ensures potholes on the national road network, like the N1, N7, N2, are fixed within 48 hours of a pothole being detected.

“We have routine road maintenance (RRM) teams that patrol the entire network at least once every 24 hours to inspect the condition.”

When it comes to the tedious and time-consuming roadworks that involve frustrating Stop/Go waiting times, there is good news.

The construction industry shut down on December 15, which put a stop to all conventional work on roads. This means that on all national roads the Stop/Go system will be halted and two-way traffic systems are in place.

SANRAL said while it seeks to make road users comfortable on the road, it is also the responsibility of road users to ensure their own safety and that of their passengers.

“Traffic volumes are always up this time of year, and that means that roads will be congested at peak periods, such as Christmas, New Year and the back-to- school period,” said Cable.

“SANRAL appeals to road users to plan their journeys and allow sufficient time to get from point A to point B. We also promote the use of rest and service centres along the highways.”

Driver behaviour is another red flag for traffic authorities. Outgoing Western Cape MEC for Mobility, Daylin Mitchell, said authorities have zero tolerance for motorists who fail to obey the rules of the road. 99 Newly graduated provincial and municipal traffic officers will bolster the provincial road safety efforts this year. Mitchell has just been appointed as the Speaker of the Western Cape Parliament.

“We’ve adopted a 365-day approach to road safety and will continue during the festive season to provide intensive, structured traffic law enforcement and road safety interventions.

“We will be enhancing the Habitual Traffic Transgressor Programme, supporting drunk driving operations, using our sky-banner campaign, enhancing communication strategies through mobile roadside billboards and boosting social media coverage of our operations through the Safely Home Programme,” he said.

The Habitual Traffic Transgressor Programme will identify repetitive bad driver behaviour, which can potentially lead to road crashes and fatalities. Mitchell said the province’s overall focus this festive season is the maintenance and the regulation of safe and responsible road user behaviour.

Fatigue management is another area that will receive particular attention.

Said Mitchell: “The focus and objective of this intervention will be to specifically monitor, regulate and enforce public transport vehicles travelling interprovincially on all major routes, using an electronic application which was developed to address driver fatigue.”

It works by creating a log of public transport drivers, which allows traffic authorities to track key fatigue-indicating data such as departures and arrival points, driving times, speed profiling as well as vehicle tracking. The fatigue alerts assist officers to identify and stop drivers who may have been driving without a rest period for further investigation.

It also entails screening for physical signs of fatigue.

“Blood pressure and glucose tests are performed by Emergency Medical Services. Fatigued drivers will be compelled to rest before continuing their journeys. The implementation of these well-established operations creates a safe environment for any other motorist to voluntarily have a rest period, thus applying the two-hour driving time or 200km rule,” Mitchell said.

Pedestrian behaviour is another area of concern for traffic authorities in the province.

“The unpredictable movement of pedestrians and, more specifically, intoxicated pedestrians across the province have been the largest contributor to our fatality rate throughout the year, and the festive season is no exception.

“As part of our integrated Pedestrian Safety Plan, the focus will be on visibility, jaywalking and drinking and walking.

“We are most definitely going to watch our routes attentively in order to create the omnipresence that is needed to ensure road safety in the Western Cape,” Mitchell said.