The City’s Executive Mayor, Cllr Geoff Makhubo is confident Joburg’s Pothole Patrol task-force will not only augment the quality of JRA’s work but will speed up the repair of road defects across the municipality.

Launched recently, Joburg’s Pothole Patrol is a three-pronged partnership between the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) and commercial insurers, Discovery Insure and Dial Direct Insurance. It aims to manage the repair of potholes throughout Johannesburg in a unique data-driven initiative designed to make roads safer and conducive for driving.

“The initiative will prioritise roads that are more frequently used, impacting more users and thereby causing more damage,” says Anneli Retief, the Executive Head of Dial Direct Insurance.

Potholes form when water seeps under the road surface and freezes, loosening the asphalt. The problem is exacerbated by the inevitable thaw, incessant rain, and moving traffic. The pothole patrol task-force, which consists of a team of 5 people is on stand-by to plug any gaps.

Travelling across Johannesburg in a largely articulated vehicle nicknamed the Jet-Patcher, the pothole patrol task-force aims to patch up an average of 4 000 potholes per month, using two such trucks. The Jet-Patcher is loaded with an aggregate of rock and mineral fragments, including the hot asphalt used to repair potholes.

Once a pothole has been reported to the task-force, it will be inspected to ascertain if it is within its area of operation and scope of repair. If it is beyond its scope of repair, details will be sent to the JRA, ensuring the pothole patrol’s work supplements that already done by the City’s entity.

Cllr Makhubo concedes that the recent rainy season has renewed threats of new potholes on the City’s roads and that the Covid-19 lockdown created a backlog in road maintenance. However, the Executive Mayor adds that the pothole patrol will deal effectively with Joburg’s ever-increasing potholes, helping repair the structural integrity of the City’s road network.

“This partnership is a game-changer in resolving the backlog created by the national lockdown and the scourge of potholes on Joburg roads,” the Mayor says.

Both insurers note that this initiative will help reduce road accidents related to potholes and decrease exorbitant insurance claims for damage to vehicles caused by potholes. It’s hoped the partnership will elevate Joburg’s status within the international community, as having high-quality road infrastructure and safety standards.

Cllr Makhubo appreciates the commitment made by both competing brands in collaborating to help improve the structural stability of the City’s roads.

“Through such partnerships with corporate citizens we shall be able to create a liveable, sustainable and resilient City with safer roads,” explains Cllr Makhubo.

Motorists should report any road defects or potholes directly to the JRA.