Dialdirect, Discovery Insure, and City of Joburg have joined forces to launch the Pothole Patrol – an initiative which aims to fix potholes throughout Johannesburg.
City of Joburg Mayor Geoff Makhubo officially launched the Pothole Patrol, stating they have “no doubt that this joint initiative with private sector support is the boost we need to fix road infrastructure in the city”.
“We are confident that the launch of this initiative is a game-changer in resolving the scourge of potholes on our roads,” said Makhubo.
Dialdirect and Discovery Insure echoed these sentiments, stating that they are happy to support the Joburg Roads Agency to fix holes in the roads.
The initiative will also align with international road safety standards, and supports the United Nations Road Safety strategies.
Starting on Monday
The Pothole Patrol will begin its work on Monday, 3 May, and will prioritise roads that are frequently used.
These roads impact the most number of motorists and therefore cause the most amount of damage to vehicles.
“Simultaneously, a smartphone app is being developed to allow residents of the City of Joburg to log pothole locations which will be prioritised for repair,” said the group.
“It is important to note that due to the vast expanse of the city’s road infrastructure and the backlog created over time through various reasons, including an increase in road traffic and worsening weather conditions, it may take time for a logged pothole to be repaired,” stated Makhubo.
Dialdirect and Discovery Insure will also make their data about road conditions available to the programme, which is “collected through telematics data that measures how vehicles are driven and can infer the condition of the road as a result”.
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