Transport Contracts on Offer

The contract of the CEO of the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), Tshepo Mahanuke, was ended. On Wednesday, the firm said the board had resolved to dismiss Mahanuke after he failed to produce counter-evidence in response to the claims of fraud.

Requests for proposals for structural demolition have increased recently, following a backlog in maintenance and repairs of critical infrastructure, owing to the temporary suspension of non-critical works during Covid-19. The proposals form part of remedial works or of larger replacement projects. Many of the projects being awarded currently were originally tendered for in 2018, with works that were deemed necessary then, but are now being escalated to urgent, says demolition contractor Jet Demolition contracts manager Kate Bester.

Roads firm the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) will continue to increase roadway construction and maintenance across South Africa. These efforts comprise many tasks consisting of enhancements made to the Huguenot Tunnel located on the N1 in the Western Cape. “We are following [President Cyril Ramaphosa’s] require facilities advancement to drive South Africa’s economic development and recovery. [Transportation Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga] has in current weeks went to a variety of our multibillion-rand tasks, linking the different provinces and ensuring that individuals and items move more efficiently. This is everything about the economy and providing on the need for economic development,” Sanral CEO Reginald Demana says.

Instant Bio-Bitumen, a carbon-negative option to conventional bitumen derived from the refining of petroleum for usage as the binder in asphalt products, is currently being evaluated by asphalt producer AECI Much Asphalt. The testing forms part of the regional asphalt industry’s work towards minimizing its carbon footprint and improving sustainability by using waste products to produce roadway surfaces that last longer.

Extreme weather associated with climate change has resulted in many roads becoming impassable, sustaining serious damage or being completely destroyed. The South African roads industry has sought to minimise the impact of climate change on our roads through emergency repair initiatives and continuous improvement of asphalt products, explains Society for Asphalt Technology (SAT) VP Joanne Muller.

Insurance business Discovery Insure has introduced innovative expert system (AI) abilities to its Pothole Patrol fleet, which will allow it to spot road defects more accurately and effectively. The Pothole Patrol public-private collaboration is a wise mobility initiative aimed at enabling the speedy reporting of pits to impact repair work throughout Johannesburg.