Subcouncil 24

Resolution detail

Hi; Councillor Peck’s Motion to Sub-Council 24; including my two (2) attached spread-sheets have reference. DRAFT INTERIM REPORT BACKGROUND • The total length of flexible (local) roads confined within the parameters of Sub-Council 24 is less than 350km. The Somerset West District has approximately 1 600km of (local) roads, whilst the City of Cape Town as a whole has more than 10 000km (local and metro). • The total approved operating budget for the 2016/17 financial year, which has been allocated to the Somerset West District and all its associated Maintenance Depots, is only R 26 546 610.00 (please refer to my 1st Attachment). Such budget is utilised to inter alia conduct the following prescribed maintenance activities i.e. local road reseal, guardrails, reactive routine maintenance, lane markings and signs, footways, verges and cycle ways, kerbs and channels, gravel road maintenance and weed-spraying. Only R 21 514 997.43 has however been earmarked for the resurfacing and rehabilitation of (local) roads throughout the entire District viz. 1 600km of (local) roads situated within Sub-Council 2, 8, 21, 22 and 24. • The City of Cape Town has a backlog to the value of billions of rands for road maintenance and rehabilitation which often coincides with need for upgrade of stormwater infrastructure, especially in the Helderberg basin. • Such resurfacing and rehabilitation backlog is steadily increasing as the change in the nature of traffic i.e. increase in number of heavy vehicles, traffic volumes, urbanization and frequencies of abuse (overloading and protest action) grow whilst our resources are effectively shrinking. • The Transport and Urban Development Authority (TDA) is therefore constantly juggling available resources in an ever changing prioritization of maintenance and rehabilitation. • Various local roads and/or segments thereof have however been resurfaced within Ward 15 during the current financial year. Such roads inter alia include Dummer, Rue Normandie, Aberdeen, Louis Botha, McLeod, Thibault, Libertas, Leipoldt, Firmount and Berrydell Avenue (please refer to my 2nd Attachment). • Merriman Avenue, Paul Kruger Road and numerous other roads situated within the surrounding area, have already been identified as possible resurfacing candidates and will probably be receiving the necessary surfacing treatment and/or holding action within the next 2 years. • In the interim, the Strand Maintenance Depot (under the direct management of Mr. Wesley Bowers) will however endeavor to continue with all necessary routine maintenance work. RECOMMENDATIONS • The resurfacing of the City of Cape Town’s roads is currently rates funded. It is therefore recommended that the City should consider a dedicated roads fund to be utilized on both the capital and operating budget of the Transport and Urban Development Authority to begin to address the significant backlogs and deferred maintenance of the City’s Roads related infrastructure. • That the staffing and budgetary constraints, persisting in the District and its various associated Depots, be reassessed. Leon de Goede Principal Professional Officer Directorate: Transport for Cape Town (TCT) Department : Maintenance (IM) (Somerset West District) 2nd Floor, Municipal Offices Cnr. Andries Pretorius Street and Victoria Street Somerset West 7130 ? Tel: +27 (0)21 444-4686 ? Fax:: +27 (0)21 444-4801 ? Email: leon.degoede@capetown.gov.za ??Internet: http://www.capetown.gov.za