Question NW2108 to the Minister of Transport
24 November 2023 - NW2108
Ramadwa, Ms MM to ask the Minister of Transport
What (a) are the details of the implementation program and/or plan of the SA National Roads Agency SOC Ltd’s Vala Zonke Campaign that deals with the problem of potholes (details furnished) and (b) has there been coverage of the Vala Zonke campaign to date?
Reply:
a) The Vala Zonke Campaign is a National campaign under the auspices of the Department of Transport in line with directives of the Presidential Economic Retreat Resolutions (31 May – 1 June 2022)
- The Transport MINMEC of 1 August 2022, adopted the intervention plan to fight against potholes and general road refurbishment and improvement that triggered the launch of Operation Vala Zonke, on 08 August 2022 in Emfuleni Local Municipality in Gauteng as part of the build-up to Presidential Imbizo that took place on 12 August 2022. All provinces had simultaneous launches on the same day.
- The SANRAL Transport Integrated Information System (ITIS) was availed to all Road Authorities for the provision of Centralized Repository and Asset Management Services with a Mobile Pothole Reporting APP that enables the public to report potholes wherever they are encountered.
The plan envisaged to have a central platform, using an automated system to (a) allocate a complaint, (b) track progress, (c) identify and resolve delays, (d) intervene (provide support) to address service delivery and (e) provide feedback to the public using the APP.
b) The coverage of the Vala Zonke campaign is that, to date, just over 44 949 potholes were reported on the National Pothole Public App and Routine Road Maintenance App according to the highest Province with the highest concentration whereby twelve (12) teams were set up comprising of officials from the Department and SANRAL to verify (track and trace) all potholes reported to determine their status through the Operation MBO.
- Operation MBO found that Gauteng tops the table with a total of 20 220 followed by Free State with 7 067 whereas Northern Cape reported 464 on the bottom of the table.
- By 07 Nov 2023, there were 138 928 downloads of the National Public Pothole Reporting App 44 949 potholes were reported as per the National System. The biggest challenge is that most potholes complaints cannot be correctly and automatically be allocated using the system. It is on this basis that municipalities were trained by SANRAL on the use of ITIS system and as a result, provinces and municipalities are invited to regularly visit the War Room to received update and progress on the reported potholes and follow-up.