Pothole Patrol kicks off in Joburg
Monday, 3 May, saw the launch of Pothole Patrol, a partnership between the City of Joburg, Dialdirect Insurance and Discovery Insure, a unique data-driven initiative to manage the repair of potholes throughout Johannesburg.
Bradley Du Chenne from Dialdirect with executive mayor of the City of Johannesburg Geoffrey Makhubo, and Anton Ossip, CEO of Discovery Insure
Launching Pothole Patrol in Lenasia, Joburg Mayor Geoff Makhubo said, “We 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.”
Head of Dialdirect Insurance Anneli Retief said: “After 10 years, we’re back and once again, are ready to help solve the backlog of potholes and help motorists drive right.”
Said Discovery Insure CEO Anton Ossip: “We’re proud to support the Joburg Roads Agency with this important initiative that we have no doubt will make our roads safer for everyone.”
Reducing road accidents across Joburg
The initiative aims to contribute to reducing the frequency and severity of road accidents across the city, aligning with international road safety standards. It supports the United Nations Road-Safety strategy, ‘A Partnership for Safer Journeys’, established in 2019.
“The Pothole Patrols will begin on Monday, 3 May 2021, and will prioritise roads that are more frequently used, impacting more users and thereby causing more damage. Simultaneously, a smartphone app is being developed to allow residents of the city to log pothole locations which will be prioritised for repair,” added Retief.
“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,” added Makhubo.
In addition, Dialdirect Insurance and Discovery Insure will make available to the programme their significant data about road conditions, which is collected through telematics data that measures how vehicles are driven and can infer the condition of the road as a result.
