BY Jacob Moshokoa

JOHANNESBURG – The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI) warned on Thursday that the scrapping of the Pothole Brigade will affect the growth of the country’s economy in the long run.

The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) was forced to formalise procedures through a tender process which they were unable to do.

“The pothole brigade has had successes,” SACCI’s Neren Rau.

“The impact of potholes is substantial in terms of being an impediment of transporting goods and it can add to the cost of moving goods when those potholes result in damage to vehicles.”

Dial Direct told Eyewitness News on Thursday it was shocked that the JRA halted their efforts in providing the pothole brigade service to road users. 

The initiative will be scrapped at the end of next month after repairing an estimated 50,000 potholes since its inception.

The JRA had to formalise procedures through a tender process which never materialised.

Dial Direct’s Bradley du Chenne said it was surprising that local government requested businesses to intervene and do more for communities when an initiative like the pothole brigade is sidelined.

“So we come along with a recommendation of how we can assist and the next thing is the JRA let some bureaucracy and red tape get in the way of what we were providing.”

Du Chenne added they were forced to weigh-up the costs of the initiative and without the support of authorities they have no option but to wrap up the operation.

Motorists have until the end of May to report any potholes for repair.

(Edited by Clare Matthes)