The community vs Tenderpreneur

[Phylax]

I see this thread has already been turned into a race issue

Where?

 

[Phylax]

That was the purpose of the thread.

Where did this naughty thread touch you?

 

[Phylax]

I've read the article. Anyone can write anything in an article it doesn't make it true.
Working in the road with no safety vest or flagmen is not working to industry specifications and standards.

The quality of the work is no doubt up to standard and the efforts to fight against government incompetence is laudable.
But lets not pretend that its an apples to apples comparison and every project should be completed this way

At least this one got completed, unlike the others...

 

[RonSwanson]

Thats a story you've concocted in your head. I work in the land survey industry. I've seen people knocked over and killed working without safety equipment. One of my survey assistants walks with a permanent limp because his previous firm skimped on traffic safety.

The route manager will kick my surveyors off the road if I don't have safety boots for a single temporary worker waving a flag. Let alone working without safety vests and signs etc. So the narrative that anyone should walk into the road, play in traffic, and fill in a pothole without caring about traffic safety is bullshit.

What proof do you have of your allegations that the farmers that filled the potholes were non-compliant with the regulations?

 

[Gyre]

Where is the picture of these 50 laborers?

The Geluksdam Farmers Association members decided to repair the potholes on the Mangaung Metro Municipality side of the Jagersfontein road. Once they received the necessary permission from the Department of Police Roads and Transport, they set to work. With a team of roughly 50 labourers, 8 bakkies and 3 tractors they embarked on repairing all the potholes in an estimated 30km stretch of road.

I just want to make sure there were no BEE or AA appointments.

 

[Suspect99]

What proof do you have of your allegations that the farmers that filled the potholes were non-compliant with the regulations?

Post number 2

 

[RonSwanson]

Post number 2

Is that all? A 35 degree field of view photograph with people and a vehicle in the way? Seeing as though you are so eminently qualified, are you a H&S inspector, and did you inspect the site? How do you know that the road was not blocked off?

As per the article, they received the necessary permission from the Department of Police Roads and Transport, and repairs were conducted according to industry specifications and standards.

Those are serious allegations that you are leveling, you are going to have to provide some more evidences than just a quick glance at a photograph. Best you take your hands out of your pockets and start gathering.

 

[The_MAC]

I think what this article indicates (other than racial tension), is that like many of our infrastructure projects, they are often way over-priced, with many palms being greased and lot's of fleecing of funds. We all know this.

Regarding the no safety part - it should add an extra 10%-15% onto the cost - after all, it's an infrastructure project, not a Health and Safety project.

Imagine this, all roads are working, railway lines running most of the heavy cargo, clean streets, educated children, clean hospitals, surplus electricity etc. - we could all sit in the evenings on the stoop drinking a double with ice, enjoying the beautiful African summer...

 

[Thugscub]

Look obviously the tenderpreneurs inflated costs and are milking the tenders but that R75000 is not a feasible number if you have to comply with all the regulations.

In that pic alone they have a single cone for road traffic management. Insanely dangerous on a national road. There's even a car approaching them in the distance that has to cross into the next lane. Zero reflective vests also.

Road traffic management requires them to set up multiple signs with flashing lights and have flagmen warning oncoming drivers of the work being done on the blacktop.

Each of the workers has to have done a yearly medical, health and safety training etc.


So yes. Well done to the farmers association, great initiative, but unless the communities are willing to sponsor the projects themselves like this and are willing to take the risk of working on the national road without safety regulations then it's not feasible going forward

So many potholes if you have not seen one yet. You can't go faster than 35 km/h so no danger.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Is that all? A 35 degree field of view photograph with people and a vehicle in the way? Seeing as though you are so eminently qualified, are you a H&S inspector, and did you inspect the site? How do you know that the road was not blocked off?

As per the article, they received the necessary permission from the Department of Police Roads and Transport, and repairs were conducted according to industry specifications and standards.

Those are serious allegations that you are leveling, you are going to have to provide some more evidences than just a quick glance at a photograph. Best you take your hands out of your pockets and start gathering.

So the repairs can have been done according to regulations and specifications, but if that photo in post 2 is from the actual area they were working then they very clearly were not adhering to all the safety regulations... That in and of itself is not necessarily a huge problem but those are costs that do need to be factored in to bring the 3m figure and the farmers figure more into a comparable footing.