KZN needs R17Bn for roads

[LazyLion]

KwaZulu-Natal's transport department needs R17 billion to tackle the backlog in road maintenance, the Mercury reported on Friday.

The newspaper quoted transport MEC Willies Mchunu as saying that his department's total annual budget of R9bn was insufficient for the maintenance of the 7400kms under its jurisdiction.

Mchunu, who was addressing the legislature in Pietermaritzburg, said 80 percent of the province's roads were deteriorating rapidly as they had exceeded their 25 year lifespan.

"While we fare better than other provinces, our rate of poor roads is 43 percent, far higher than the global benchmark of less than 10 percent," he was quoted as saying.


Source : Sapa /js/jk/jje
Date : 15 Aug 2014 09:12

 

[2026]

KwaZulu-Natal's transport department needs R17 billion to tackle the backlog in road maintenance, the Mercury reported on Friday.

The newspaper quoted transport MEC Willies Mchunu as saying that his department's total annual budget of R9bn was insufficient for the maintenance of the 7400kms under its jurisdiction.

Mchunu, who was addressing the legislature in Pietermaritzburg, said 80 percent of the province's roads were deteriorating rapidly as they had exceeded their 25 year lifespan.

"While we fare better than other provinces, our rate of poor roads is 43 percent, far higher than the global benchmark of less than 10 percent," he was quoted as saying.


Source : Sapa /js/jk/jje
Date : 15 Aug 2014 09:12

Is that an additional 17B on top of the 9B (so 26B in total), or is the 9B included in that 17B?

 

[Picard]

I only need R700 000 for a house. They could sponsor me instead.

 

[Sean008]

Etolls ? Heading your way soon !

 

[LazyLion]

Is that an additional 17B on top of the 9B (so 26B in total), or is the 9B included in that 17B?

Seems to me the R9Bn is included in the figure.

They have 9 but they actually need 17.

 

[Chevron]

Funny how the last good roads was 25 years ago. Or will they blame apartheid again?

 

[LazyLion]

Funny how the last good roads was 25 years ago. Or will they blame apartheid again?

In all fairness, this is actually a worldwide problem. There was a massive infrastructure boom in the second half of the last century around the world, and now many of these roads and bridges are coming to the end of their life span. It's a massive problem in the USA as well. I was shocked to hear them making the same jokes about the quality of their roads that we do.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Funny how the last good roads was 25 years ago. Or will they blame apartheid again?

TBH, in the major metropolitan areas in KZN (Durban, PMB, etc) the roads are actually in quite good shape and they're maintained relatively well... The rural areas on the other hand are a bit shocking.

 

[ToxicBunny]

In all fairness, this is actually a worldwide problem. There was a massive infrastructure boom in the second half of the last century around the world, and now many of these roads and bridges are coming to the end of their life span. It's a massive problem in the USA as well. I was shocked to hear them making the same jokes about the quality of their roads that we do.

The US actually have a MUCH bigger problem than we do in all honesty....

They have considerably more bridges to maintain and replace, and a large portion of them are nearing the end of their lifespan and they have nowhere near enough money to replace them all.

 

[rrh]

I'm not surprised.

I drove from Johannesburg last Friday. The number of trucks on the road - mostly travelling towards Johannesburg - was several times the number of cars.

When the roads carry the cargo that should be carried by the railways expect the roads to go pretty shortly thereafter ...

 

[LazyLion]

I'm not surprised.

I drove from Johannesburg last Friday. The number of trucks on the road - mostly travelling towards Johannesburg - was several times the number of cars.

When the roads carry the cargo that should be carried by the railways expect the roads to go pretty shortly thereafter ...

This is true.

 

[Pitbull]

And to the KZN e-toll roll-out starts. Good luck.

 

[supersunbird]

They money is there and being wasted on other crap. If fuel levy was ringfenced and just used for the roads....

 

[Sapcat]

That R17Bn would be better spent on drivers education in KZN imo.

Maby start with how a traffic circle works....

 

[MickeyD]

Poor strategic planning.

You don't wake up once the road is already in disrepair. There should be a 5 year (maybe even a 10 year) maintenance plan on the existing roads and another plan for the provision of new roads or conversion of gravel roads to tarred roads.

And I would be sad if they were not already available.

The problem comes to the funding of these plans. Over the years the budget has been eroded and diverted "elsewhere" and now they are at the "oops, we're in shit" stage!

Time to review those other budget allocations and tightens the belts!!