June 2010

The state of our country’s roads is having a seriously negative impact on South African motorists. Potholes and general decay of roads are costing road users tens of thousands of Rands in car repairs, not to mention the danger posed through the ensuing accidents. The South African Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (SAVRALA) points out that car rental and leasing agencies are hardest hit by the poor road conditions due to the large fleets that they maintain. Bad road conditions are one of the recognised causes of excessive wear and tear and often lead to disputes as to who is accountable for the resultant costs.

It is admirable that ‘SANRAL has now raised R17.3 billion of funding for the expansion and upgrade of toll roads, particularly the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project’, however, this doesn’t make the daily commute on suburban roads any less harrowing. SouthAfrica.info, the official gateway to the nation, encouraging tourists and investors to visit this incredible land of diversity, states: ‘while most national roads are tarred and in good condition, the more rural the road, the more likely it is to be pot-holed and poorly surfaced.’ Are we to understand that roads in suburbs such as Rosebank and Sandton, carrying large volumes of daily traffic, are now considered rural?

The 2010 National Budget clearly states that since 2004, ‘the country’s roads, transport, stadiums and buildings received a facelift.’ If that is the case, the question has to be asked: why are potholes and deplorable road maintenance of such concern to road users? The treasury goes on to say that one of the main changes to the budget for the next three years will be the allocation of R2.8 billion more for public transport, roads and rail infrastructure. The Johannesburg Roads Agency claims to maintain a steady response time of three days from the time a pothole is reported; a fact that road users are quick to oppose.

If one considers the fleets owned and managed by members of SAVRALA, the cost of constantly having to replace tyres and rims coupled with regular wheel alignments and repairs to suspensions leads to an increase in total transport costs. Ultimately it is the consumer who bares the brunt of the problem as the prices of goods and services continue to escalate.