Ekurhuleni sets aside R250m to rehabilitate road infrastructure, particulalry potholes
EKURHULENI - The City of Ekurhuleni has set aside more than R520 million for road rehabilitation, particularly dealing with potholes.
One of the biggest challenges facing the municipality in the last few years has been the slow pace of the patching up of potholes.
During his budget speech on Thursday, Finance MMC Jongizizwe Dlabathi committed to being more aggressive in addressing the poor quality of roads.
According to an update from the City of Ekurhuleni last year, over 1,700 potholes were recorded on the metro's roads at the time.
In the most recent update, the mayor reported that more than 500 of these potholes were repaired within the first few months of the current financial year.
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Dlabathi said that potholes were increasingly disrupting the functioning of the city's economy.
"The issue of potholes is steadily becoming an albatross for the city. This is not only impacting the road users but also the economy of the region because roads are the backbone of the movement of goods and services."
The budget is heeding the call for urgent attention to the situation under the auspices of Hlasela Amapotholes.
An additional R200 million has been allocated for the purchase of materials and supplies, enabling municipal teams to carry out pothole repairs themselves rather than outsourcing the service to contractors.
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