ROAD SAFETY Investing in 2021 - SANRAL
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Investing in 2021
ROAD SAFETY Produced by SANRAL
www.arrivealive.co.za
www.sanral.co.za @sanral_za @sanralza @sanral_za SANRAL SANRAL Corporate
MESSAGES
Message from the CEO
SAFER ROADS - IT STARTS WITH ME
Skhumbuzo Macozoma
O
ver the past year the concept of safety has taken Guided by the legislative prescripts under the State of Disaster,
prominence all over the world. COVID-19 has made us our traffic patterns over the last year have been largely
all more safety conscious. influenced by the various levels of lockdown and the related
curfew restrictions.
As we continue to stay safe in the face of a pandemic that
we thought would be with us for a short while, we reflect with We have seen significantly less traffic on the roads during
gratitude on the efforts and strides made to save lives. periods that were ordinarily associated with peak travel times,
school holidays, festive season travels and, more recently, the
In the wake of the widespread devastation caused by COVID-19,
SANRAL is at the forefront in responding to the pandemic. For Easter period. The resultant reduced crash statistics should
both our staff and road users, safety remains our priority and we therefore not be seen entirely as a victory. One life lost on
are part of national initiatives in fighting the pandemic. our roads is still one too many.
One of our efforts is encouraging cashless and contactless I am excited about the prospects of the use of technology
transactions at our toll plazas. The more of these we have, the to aid our road safety interventions and initiatives. There
lesser the risk of transmission of the coronavirus that happens is no denying the possibilities that can be achieved
at the point of sale. Banks and retailers around the world are through harnessing technology in the quest for safer
responding to COVID-19 fears by encouraging cashless or roads.
contactless card transactions so that payments can be made SANRAL is spearheading progressive research
without the need to touch the terminal or getting into physical through collaborations with educational institutions,
contact with, in our case, the operator at a toll plaza. our peers on the international stage and the road
Motorists who pay cash or use a card at a toll plaza would safety cluster in our country. We are reminded of
ordinarily be concerned about the risk of physically transacting South Africa’s commitment to significantly reduce
when they are passing a plaza. In the context of COVID-19, road carnage and we acknowledge that change
hand hygiene and the surfaces we all touch on a daily basis starts with each individual.
have become a big issue. SANRAL supports UN Global Road Safety which
But if motorists use the e-tag they need not worry about hand takes place from 17 – May 2021. The global
and surface hygiene at our toll plazas. The e-tag is an entirely campaigns that take place during this week put
electronic payment method that obviates the need for a a spotlight on the importance of road safety
physical contact or transaction. As a motorist with an e-tag and road safety markings.
approaches a toll plaza, the boom gate lifts up and the driver
The theme for this year is ‘Streets for life’
whizzes through. The e-tag offers both a safety and ease of
#Love30 campaign. It aims to highlight that
passage convenience. So, if you are a regular user of our toll
streets with a speed limit of 30 km/h save
plazas, make sure you get yourself an e-tag.
lives and protect all who use them, especially
But road safety is not confined to our methods of payment. the most vulnerable, like pedestrians, cyclists,
The very roads we build must be safely engineered and we children and older people and people with
must continue promoting road safety messages and behaviour disabilities. In this edition, we let you know about
among our road users. our road safety initiatives and how you can get
involved.
SANRAL’s recent Road Safety Award from the World Road
Association is an affirmation that our road safety efforts, both
from an engineering and a behaviour change perspective, are Let’s make our roads safer, one kilometre
moving in the right direction. at a time.
Message from the Road Safety Engineering Focus Group
W
ith the ever-changing geographical landscape slow down when there are pedestrians using the road? reserve, a high number of access roads flowing directly
in South Africa, all stakeholders in the road off the national routes, and a high number of public
We continue to explore case studies of countries with
safety fraternity are called upon to respond transport vehicles stopping on the national routes.
low crash statistics, particularly those with dedicated
to our country’s road safety challenges. SANRAL’s Road Collaboration is a key element in developing a country’s
Road Safety Engineering Manuals. South Africa does
Safety Engineering Focus Group in particular is tasked with knowledge economy. To this effect, SANRAL is working
not have a stand-alone Road Safety Engineering Manual.
managing and mitigating risks on the national road network. However, all of our manuals have road safety engineering closely with the Road Traffic Management Corporation to
elements built into them. We are currently reviewing all update its Road Safety Audit Manual.
In continuing to prioritise non-motorised transport (NMT),
the Road Safety Engineering Focus Group is making our manuals in terms of compliance with international We are also developing a design methodology for
strides in its efforts to better understand the behaviour standards; should they be found lacking, we may need to implementation of vehicle-restraint systems (barriers
that influences the statistics. The team is 4 months develop a stand-alone Road Safety Engineering Manual. next to the road). This too is in partnership with the
into a detailed 3-year behavioural research operation, RTMC, where SANRAL is sharing technical know-how on
As SANRAL absorbs more provincial roads into the
that seeks to understand what makes pedestrians and the project.
national road network, we continue to develop new
motorists behave in the manner they do. In other words, applications in response to the needs created by the SANRAL remains committed to playing its part in the
why do pedestrians cross freeways instead of using expansion of the network. This relates to lower mobility road safety space and will continue to explore new
dedicated pedestrian facilities, and why do drivers not of routes due to a high density of people within the road frontiers to save lives, one kilometre at a time.
2 BUILDING SOUTH AFRICA THROUGH BETTER ROADS
GLOBAL
SANRAL scoops
International Road Safety Award
T
he International Road Federation (IRF) officially recognised the road safety
engineering efforts of the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited
(SANRAL) by bestowing it with the 2020 IRF ‘Find a Way’ Global Road Safety
Award at the Vision Zero for Africa Conference in December 2020.
During this three-day virtual conference several road safety specialists from around
the globe deliberated, collaborated and unpacked exactly what ‘Vision Zero’ means for
Africa’s road planners, designers and builders.
“This Award bears testament to our relentless efforts to reduce fatal and serious
injury crashes, not only on our national road network but in the whole of South Africa
and the Southern African Development Community. It is specifically gratifying, given
our road safety journey – which is by no means over – but such recognition confirms
that we are on the right path.
“The onset of the United Nations (UN) 1st Decade of Action for Road Safety in 2011
provided the much-needed impetus to structure and focus our road safety efforts as
the leading roads agency in South Africa,” said SANRAL CEO Skhumbuzo Macozoma
during his acceptance speech.
According to the IRF, the end of the first UN Decade of Action for Road Safety
2011–2020 marks the start of new forms of international collaboration to avert the
continuing and growing epidemic of road traffic injuries, responsible for 1 350 000
fatalities per year. In February 2020, Ministers from over 100 countries reaffirmed the
objective to halve road fatalities from 2020 to 2030, in line with the UN Sustainable
Development Goals.
In August 2020 the UN General Assembly reaffirmed this goal in a resolution which
further calls on countries to “ensure the safety and protection of all road users through
safer road infrastructure by taking into account the needs of motorised and non-
motorised transport, especially on the highest-risk roads, through the identification
of proper planning and safety assessment, including through identification of crash-
prone areas, design, building and maintenance of roads, signal systems and other
infrastructure”.
The key departure-point of the conference, was the acknowledgement that no level of
deaths or serious injuries is acceptable. Hence the ‘Vision Zero’ principles, which take
human fallibility and vulnerability into account, should be instrumental in guiding the
design and management of road networks.
“We have embraced the Safe System approach and are acutely aware of the important
role that all stakeholders play in providing a safe and forgiving road environment – one
that caters for the needs of all road users, including our most vulnerable road users.
SANRAL has cemented its commitment to Road Safety by making it one of the four
key pillars of our organisation’s long-term strategy, Horizon 2030. The other pillars are
Roads, Mobility and Stakeholders,” continued Macozoma.
He encouraged road users to be foot soldiers that execute government’s road safety
commitments. “Let us show the world that this award can pave the way for improved
road user behaviour and saving lives.”
INVESTING IN ROAD SAFETY 2021 3
PROJECTS
Upgrades on the R61 to create wider and safer roads
I
n line with government’s call for infrastructure stakeholder engagements with the kings of the King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo who enquired about
development to drive economic transformation area, mayors of the municipalities and traditional the upcoming project and how the community
post COVID-19, SANRAL’s upgrade of the R61 leaders were very important. would benefit said, “I am a custodian on behalf of
creates not only safer roads, but directly impacts the people. I need to know exactly how the people
economic activity in the Eastern Cape. Ndika added that at a previous stakeholder meeting
are going to benefit on this project. Our people must
on March 9 it was agreed that they would return
The project is currently in design phase and is being continue to live beyond SANRAL.”
reviewed. The upgrade to a dual carriageway beyond accompanied by GIBB the engineering consultancy
firm appointed for planning, design, and contract Stakeholder interventions and social facilitation
the airport will include interchanges to retain the
provide opportunities for ongoing engagements with
mobility function (100 km/h design speed) of the administration of the project to explain which
landowners concerning the relocation of affected
road network up to the Ian Woods intersection. This households will be affected by the development.
is mainly due to the change in land use in this area. properties.
As people heard that SANRAL will be developing
The remainder of the dual carriageway will remain at the R61, they came to build houses where the route Other key projects in the KSD Local Municipality
60km/h design speed. include: The Upgrading of National Route R61 Section
would be while informal traders also started placing
About 12 000 vehicles use the R61 from Ian Woods and selling their goods next to the road. It is for this 7 from Baziya to Mthatha Airport, phase 1: the
to the CBD per day. Approximately 10 000 vehicles tender has been retendered. The initial contract was
reason that SANRAL wanted to meet with the king
travel per day in the opposite direction heading terminated in August 2019 due to nonperformance of
to request that the people move or be relocated.
towards the Mthatha Airport. Approximately 6 000 the contractor. The contract for the remaining work
vehicles per day use the R61 heading to Baziya. “The project will be dealt with with care,” said Ndika. was re-tendered and the tender is in the process of
being awarded. It is anticipated that a contractor will
Land acquisition will be required to upgrade GIBB’s engineer Gerhard Fourie gave a detailed
these roads which will impact land users. These be appointed by the end of April 2021.
explanation of the households that will be affected
challenges were discussed at a roundtable by the upgrade. The upgrading of the National Route N2 Section
engagement with the AbaThembu Kingdom, 18 from Viedgesville to Mthatha will include the
traditional leaders and local municipality “Moving households is not an easy feat as people development of a dual carriageway on either side of
representatives at Nkululekweni, in Mthatha on need to be acquainted with and integrated into new a median or physical barrier. In addition the capacity
Monday, 29 March. communities. There will be stakeholder and social of the interchanges and intersections will be
SANRAL Southern Region’s Stakeholder facilitation to assist in building community and expanded and pedestrian bridges and underpasses
Relations Coordinator, Welekazi Ndika, said these integration,” said Ndika. will be provided.
AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo and Queen Nokwanda (seated, centre) listened to SANRAL Southern Region Stakeholder Relations Coordinator Welekazi Ndika (standing)
who updated the AbaThembu Kingdom, Traditional Leaders and local municipality staff on social facilitation and stakeholder relations with residents who will be affected by the
upgrading of the R61 from Mthatha Airport to Mthatha CBD project. The roundtable engagement was held at Nkululekweni in Mthatha.
4 BUILDING SOUTH AFRICA THROUGH BETTER ROADS
TECHNOLOGY
Harnessing
machine learning
to improve
road safety
S
ANRAL’s Technical Innovation Hub (TIH) is protest detection, foreign objects such as rocks, tyre Technology of this nature also comes with
at the forefront of harnessing technology detection, etc). This information can then be used to significant risks. However, all efforts are being
to inform, improve and expedite road safety activate the appropriate response through the Road made to understand how to use it effectively while
across the South African road network. The TIH Incident Management System (RIMS), remedy the maintaining strict compliance with legislation
draws from extensive research into industry situation and inform road users – in real time. regarding the privacy of road users. Some of the
best practices and collaborations with various ways to mitigate potential privacy risks are to use
stakeholders in the road safety arena, both “Machine learning can be used to strict security and access controls. Data can also
nationally and abroad. detect and segment objects within be anonymous at the point of capture. After all, the
intention is not to observe individuals, but rather to
The team is currently probing the extent to which a camera frame. Each frame of a
identify trends and incidents to inform appropriate
machine learning can be harnessed in our quest to video is analysed as a still image.”
responses and interventions.
improve road safety, reduce congestion and inform
infrastructure development. One can also look at how these different objects While this technology is still in the exploratory phase
interact with one another, e.g. to detect unusual in South Africa, it already has tongues wagging
“Machine learning can be used to detect and
vehicle behaviour, like a vehicle stopping on the in countries like China, where they use machine
segment objects within a camera frame. Each
freeway. One is also able to infer information about learning to incorporate facial recognition for law
frame of a video is analysed as a still image. These
the interaction between multiple ‘objects’ such as enforcement. For example, the machines are able
objects can then be classified based on pre-trained
cars and pedestrians. to identify the driver of a vehicle and instantly issue
image classifiers. Within the road environment this
fines, if that driver does not have a valid driver’s
allows one to detect and classify different types If a vehicle is detected moving to the side of the
licence. Fines can also be issued automatically for
of vehicles, pedestrians, animals, cyclists, etc,” road and coming to a standstill, and pedestrians are
individuals who jay-walk or gain access to restricted
explains Mechatronic Engineer, Ruan van Breda detected moving towards the vehicle and entering
areas.
from the TIH. the vehicle, this can be classified as an informal
pick-up. As more and more data is collected, these As with any technological advances, there are
trends can aid road authorities with infrastructure pros and cons. At this stage in South Africa, we
planning, such as drop-off / pick-up points, or aid are looking into and learning about the potential of
law enforcement to stop illegal pick-ups if this is machine learning to address numerous challenges
considered a safety risk. in maintaining road safety.
Image source: darknet github repo, via https://
towardsdatascience.com/yolo-object-detection-with-
opencv-and-python-21e50ac599e9
The possibilities are infinite, based on training
data available. There is already ample data for the
above-mentioned classification types. However,
Van Breda explains that these genres can be further
expanded through the creation of custom data sets
and training classifiers, to be able to distinguish, for
example, between slow-moving traffic and a road
traffic crash.
This can also be used to create new classification
classes based on unique experiences, or the In this instance the model correctly picked up the person in the mini-van as well.
requirements of the road authority (e.g. fire or Source: https://www.analyticsvidhya.com/blog/2018/12/practical-guide-object-detection-yolo-framewor-python/
INVESTING IN ROAD SAFETY 2021 5
INVESTING IN ROAD SAFETY 2021 7
ROAD SAFETY
STREETS FOR LIFE: GLOBAL ROAD SAFETY WEEK
First commemorated in 2007, UN Global Road that low-speed streets reduce the risk of serious any specific demands, to create your own powerful
Safety Week is aimed at raising public awareness injuries and save lives. In addition, when streets are call to action for low-speed streets.
about traffic rules and ultimately to reduce safe, people walk and cycle more, thus promoting
Send it to the decision-makers responsible for the
casualties as a result of road accidents. The 6th physical activity.
change you would like to see in your community,
UN Global Road Safety Week takes place from
Now is the time to urgently deliver on this call to asking them to endorse your Open Letter.
17–23 May 2021, with the theme of ‘Streets for life’
action by reducing, designing and enforcing traffic Encourage others to do the same!
#Love30.
speeds that are safe for everyone, everywhere,
Build your #Love30 community!
The World Health Organization has concluded that prioritising low-speed streets in all residential areas
an increase in average speed of 1 km/h results in and near schools.
a 3% higher risk of a crash and a 4–5% increase in
fatalities. Get involved
Streets for Life
Support ‘Streets for life’ by reading and signing the
Streets where people and traffic mix and which
have a speed limit of 30 km/h, prevent road traffic
Open Letter here. [https://www.unroadsafetyweek. Love30
org/en/get-involved#sign].
deaths. A speed limit of 30 km/h protects the
most vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, Write to your chosen decision-makers to make the
children, older people, people with disabilities and case for a safe street life. Edit and adapt the Open unroadsafetyweek.org
cyclists. Evidence from around the world shows Letter to your own setting and language, including
SANRAL promoting safe roads
W
ith more people spending time SUV Challenge we shared this message
on the road, especially during with stakeholders in the Eastern Cape and
holiday season and long weekends, KwaZulu-Natal. Part of the SUV Challenge
SANRAL has been active in urging road users
was to participate in a heritage tour, putting
to exercise extreme caution and practise
the regions attractions on display, and thereby
responsible behaviour.
SANRAL participated in the SUV Challenge Eastern Cape promoting tourism, while also showcasing
Tour in March. SANRAL also used the time to encourage One event where SANRAL was able to
SANRAL’s world-class infrastructure. We also
responsible road user behaviour. promote such behaviour and showcase road
shared information on SANRAL’s scholarship
infrastructure development was the SUV
Challenge – Eastern Cape Tour held in March. and bursary programmes,” said SANRAL’s head
of stakeholder relations Siphiwo Mxhosa.
The SUV Challenge is a public-private
partnership incorporating a host of private The heritage tour included a visit to
sector entities partnering with state entities Mbongweni, birthplace of Winnie Madikizela-
such as Brand South Africa and SANRAL, as Mandela. SANRAL will be constructing a 32km
well as various municipalities. access road to Mbongweni from the R61 near
The SUV Challenge provided SANRAL Bizana, in Mbizana Local Municipality within
with a platform to engage a broad range the Alfred Nzo District.
of stakeholders participating in the event,
collaborating on areas of mutual interest on SANRAL also shared messages of responsible
infrastructure development, and encouraging road user behaviour and scholarship and
responsible road user behaviour at the bursary information with residents at Nkantolo,
proposed Kokstad Interchange. home of the late Oliver Tambo, as well as
“SANRAL encourages responsible road Mqhekezweni Great Place, home of late
user behaviour and as participants in the President Nelson Mandela.
8 BUILDING SOUTH AFRICA THROUGH BETTER ROADS
CONCESSIONAIRES
TRAC is committed to N4 road safety
T
he N4 Toll Route experiences higher traffic regulations to generate road safety awareness, offer
volumes between Gauteng, Mpumalanga a well-equipped rest stop (including free coffee) and
and Maputo over the Easter weekend. In educate road users about the N4 Toll Route as well as
response to this, Trans African Concessions TRAC’s 24-hour Helpdesk that works in conjunction
(TRAC) prioritised its efforts to manage the influx
with TRACAssist.
of traffic and ensure that the N4 remains a safe and
congestion-free route between South Africa and On the second tier of the campaign TRACAssist
Mozambique. units and various other emergency service teams
TRAC’s key statistics indicated that there would be a were stationed at TRAC’s mainline plazas and other
surge in traffic volumes over the Easter weekend, with strategic points along the route. The purpose of this
peak periods as follows: activation was to reduce response times to roadside
emergencies and incidents. It was led by TRACAssist
• Thursday 1 April 12:00 - 22:00
• Friday 2 April 08:00 - 13:00 and the TRAC 24-hour Helpdesk.
• Monday 5 April 11:00 - 22:00 Road safety and the wellbeing of the N4 Toll Route’s
TRAC developed its N4 Easter Road Safety Awareness road users remain TRAC’s primary concern. TRAC
and Swift Response Campaign in response to this. continues to urge road users on the N4 toll route to
Running from Thursday morning (1 April) to Tuesday 6 make full use of its road safety initiatives by calling
April, this campaign had two parts to it. TRAC Helpdesk:
The first tier of the campaign included a road 0800 87 22 64 (South Africa) or
safety activation at Alzu Petroport. The TRAC team +258 84 34 34 34 6 (Mozambique)
engaged with road users in line with COVID-19 safety for fast assistance for any problem.
Bakwena passionate about protecting road users
T
he Bakwena Platinum Corridor Some key activities that are undertaken include The concessionaire’s road safety programme is
Concessionaire (Pty) Ltd is a road authority monitoring traffic and producing analytic reports, aimed at raising awareness and instilling the right
agency that is responsible for construction, in addition the infrastructure of the road network is behaviour for the long term. Key initiatives that are
maintenance, financing and overall operations of constantly assessed to determine areas that require geared towards learners include edutainment and
the road infrastructure. The organisation ensures enhancement. Lastly, route patrol and customer environmental projects, drama, peer education and
scholar patrol support. Projects aimed at improving
the sustainability of N1N4 route, the N4 stretching care systems not only become the backbone of
driver behaviour on the road include encouraging
over a network of 290km between Pretoria and the the concessionaire’s services but also serve the
the use of safety-belts, sticking to the speed limits
Botswana border post and the N1 from Pretoria communities that are located around and along
and car seats for kids. All of which are geared
northwards to Bela Bela (95km). the N1N4 network. All of these activities highlight towards educating and creating awareness around
Bakwena’s commitment to road safety. road safety. This ultimately contributes to the safety
Bakwena’s key priority is to ensure road safety is
adhered to and this is done through awareness The Bakwena Platinum Corridor Concessionaire of children and adults which will, in turn, reduce
programmes and educational initiatives that (Pty) Ltd implements year round road safety crashes and injuries.
promote road safety. Bakwena prides itself initiatives and strives to collaborate with road
in promoting road safety and implementing safety players and law enforcement authorities to
road safety education as this forms an integral ensure heightened awareness is created throughout
component of the Bakwena N1N4 toll route. the year.
INVESTING IN ROAD SAFETY 2021 9
ENGINEERING
Prioritising Upgrade to bring positive
pedestrian safety changes to R67
Upgrading of the R67 between Swart Kei River and Komani (Queenstown) is expected to be concluded in 2023.
F R
or a long time learners in Tzaneen Village in oad users of the R67 between Swart Kei River and Komani (Queenstown) will soon benefit from
Kuruman risked their lives daily crossing the the improvements that are taking place in the area. The road accommodates more than 4 000
N14 getting to and from school. The principal vehicles daily and traffic volume statistics from 2014 revealed that the average daily traffic is
of Tselancho Intermediate School reached out to 3 899 vehicles and the average daily truck traffic is 295.
SANRAL for a pedestrian safety intervention.
Phase two of the project commenced on 15 October 2020 and is expected to be concluded in the first
The N14 slices through the village and is used by half of 2023.
both children and adults who frequently cross the
“The road reserve will be widened for 18km and upgraded to improve road safety, which includes the
road in their daily engagements.
need for new fences to be erected. The Klaas Smiths River bridge will be widened, and a new Swart
After a thorough investigation of the N14 section 8 Kei River bridge will be constructed on the new alignment. The existing Swart Kei River bridge will be
with regard to traffic count, access points and demolished after completion of the new bridge,” said SANRAL’s Southern Region Manager Mbulelo
community travel patterns, the routine road Peterson.
maintenance contractor implemented a number
The project is within the Chris Hani District Municipality and falls under the jurisdiction of Enoch
of road safety interventions. These include highly
Mgijima Local Municipality, affecting wards 14, 15, 16, 19 and 20.
visible signage that warns motorists of pedestrians,
and in particular children crossing the road; the The R67 project is valued at about R468 million and includes roadworks improvements, bridge
laying of rumble strips on the road surface to reduce widening, new bridge construction, bus bay shelters, drainage structures, fencing, road signs,
vehicle speeds; and the reduction of the speed limit guardrails and gabions. Four livestock crossings and a walkway will form part of the road upgrade and
to 60km/h on this section. will enhance road safety along the R67.
“Pedestrian safety is one of my projects of passion. The project benefits are not confined to the physical upgrades – training for skills development and
Where SANRAL is able to find solutions to identified community development form a key part of it. The local economy will also benefit, with job creation
hazardous locations along the national road and skills development of local emerging contractors. The project will employ approximately 500
network, we try to assist communities as much as people.
possible, said SANRAL Western Region Manager Nombuyiselo Dyonase, co-owner of Lukh’ugcobo Trading Enterprises, employed nine people on the
Randall Cable. project while erecting fencing for three months. “I employed people from Whittlesea and Komani on
The school principal, Mrs B.S. Smith, was delighted the project. They were unemployed before working for me. This project is creating job opportunities
with SANRAL’s pedestrian safety interventions. for us,” said Dyonase.
“Thank you for the excellent work rendered by The installation of fencing and construction of walkways and underpasses will all contribute to
your workers. We are really delighted and trust improving the safety of the road. “The fencing will also prevent animals from crossing the road,”
that it will minimise if not make our community added Peterson.
free of crashes. These are truly efficacious safety
measures,” she concluded.
Furthermore, Tselancho Intermediate School has
been added to the list of schools that will benefit
from SANRAL’s road safety education programme
in coming months. This will equip the teachers with
skills and material to make road safety education
part of their classroom activities, in a bid to create
safer spaces for the learners and their families.
Nombuyiselo Dyonase, co-owner of Lukh’ugcobo Trading Enterprise (left) and staff members Zipho Shumane
and Sivile Mpahlwa, who are digging holes before erecting fencing.
10 BUILDING SOUTH AFRICA THROUGH BETTER ROADSENGINEERING
SANRAL encourages safe behaviour in Gauteng Province
T
he South African National Roads Agency for RRM in Gauteng Oakley van Eyk. with the sub-contractors. An appointed mentor will
SOC Ltd (SANRAL) recently announced the be available on-site to assist sub-contractors and
The RRM project announcements follow several
progress made on Routine Road Maintenance keep a record of performance. “SANRAL wants to
Taking SANRAL to the People stakeholder
(RRM) projects across Gauteng’s three metropolitan engagement sessions that SANRAL hosted improve the sub-contractor’s performance, offer
areas of Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg, and Tshwane. in Gauteng during 2020. These engagements skills transfer and make sub-contractors more
Ndodana/Oarona Joint Venture is appointed by targeted local small, medium and micro enterprises equipped and profitable to grow their profile as
SANRAL as the consulting engineers as well as (SMMEs) as well as local communities to showcase entrepreneurs during this process,” says Van Eyk.
VEA Road Maintenance and Civils (Pty) Ltd (VEA) available opportunities on upcoming SANRAL
as the main contractor across all three metros. The projects and how they can get involved. SANRAL often uses the Taking SANRAL to the
tenders for sub-contractors will be advertised within People sessions as an opportunity to interact with
VEA will be responsible for developing and issuing
the next six months. key stakeholders affected by its projects and forge
the tender packages that will be made available for
“In the Gauteng Province alone, SANRAL has sub-contracting opportunities where local SMMEs partnerships with them as part of ongoing efforts to
four RRM contracts; three of these started in can submit their business profiles for consideration. improve their socio-economic conditions. Through
December 2020 and the fourth one in November Currently, it is anticipated that there will be this programme, SANRAL shares information about
2020 and runs for a period of 36 months until 31 approximately 18 to 22 sub-contractor packages its continuing role in infrastructure development,
October 2023 and 30 November 2023 respectively, that will be put out to tender per contract. job creation and skills development initiatives, as
thereafter new routine maintenance contracts will During the period of the contract, various training well as engaging in dialogue on issues of mutual
be put in place,” explains SANRAL’s Project Manager programmes by accredited trainers will be done interest with these stakeholders.
Upgrades between Dardanelles and Lynnfield Park
interchanges to improve traffic flow
E
arlier this year SANRAL announced the start of the much anticipated
upgrades of the National Route 3 (N3) between the Dardanelles
and Lynnfield Park interchanges situated between Cato Ridge and
Pietermaritzburg.
During the 40-month construction period the existing four-lane dual
carriageway road will be upgraded to an eight-lane dual carriageway by
widening to the median and outer shoulders. The existing Dardanelles
interchange will also be upgraded to improve traffic flow.
“Initial work will impact traffic utilising the R103 north of the Camperdown
interchange to south of the Lynnfield Park interchange. Stop/Go traffic
accommodation will be in place along this section of the R103 to repair
the surface and lower the R103 where it crosses under the N3 north of
Dardanelles,” said SANRAL Eastern Region Project Engineer Corné Roux.
The Stop/Go control came into effect from 12 February 2021 and is
expected to be in operation until 15 May 2021. The main upgrading
activities on the N3 are expected to commence in May 2021, starting with
widening of the southbound carriageway.
“The safety of road users and construction workers is of paramount
importance. We urge all road users to be extra vigilant, always drive with The STOP/GO control is anticipated to be effective from February 12 until May 15 this year in the areas
extreme care during the upgrades and obey traffic rules,” concluded Roux. indicated on this Google Maps image.
INVESTING IN ROAD SAFETY 2021 11FAQs
FAQs
What is SANRAL? How do I alert SANRAL about bad road conditions? Who are the other agencies that fall under the
Department of Transport?
The South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd Should you want to report a problem, simply visit
(SANRAL) was established in April 1998 by an Act of www.nra.co.za for contact details of our regional Airports Company South Africa – www.airports.co.za
Parliament as an independent company to operate Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa – www.prasa.com
offices and concessionaires. SANRAL has a 48-hour
South Africa’s national road network. It is a public Ports Regulator of South Africa – www.portsregulator.org
turnaround time, from reporting to repair of a pothole
company with share capital within the requirements Air Traffic and Navigation Services – www.atns.com
on our national roads.
of the South African Companies Act and governed by Cross-Border Road Transport Agency – www.cbrta.co.za
a board of seven members. The Minister of Transport What is the annual cost of crashes to South Africa’s Railway Safety Regulator – www.rsrorgza.co.za
is the sole shareholder of SANRAL representing economy? Road Accident Fund – www.raf.co.za
government. Road Traffic Infringement Agency – www.rtia.co.za
Crashes cost the country approximately R143 billion
Road Traffic Management Corporation – www.rtmc.co.za
SANRAL is a state-owned entity (SOE), category 3A, per year.
South African Civil Aviation Authority – www.caa.co.za
and is not allowed to make a profit. It is not a business South African Maritime Safety Authority – www.samsa.org.za
How can I tender for work with SANRAL?
enterprise. It is responsible for a national road network
of 22 253km. This network is gradually expanding, as Construction work is all given out on tender. Does SANRAL offer bursaries, scholarships and
a growing number of provinces request the agency to SANRAL’s projects are guided by a commitment to internships?
take over the management of some of their primary SMME development, a 14-point plan that prioritises Yes! SANRAL continues to support skills development
roads. SANRAL is an implementing agency for road community engagement, a transformation policy in engineering and the built environment in the form of
planning, construction and maintenance, on behalf of that seeks to advance black business, and an overall bursaries, scholarships and internships. Applications
the Department of Transport. strategy that is aligned to the government’s National open 1 June and close 30 September 2021 and will be
Development Plan. available on the SANRAL website.
What is the length of South Africa’s road network?
All first-tier tenders can be found in the following Applications for internships are considered throughout
South Africa has the 10th longest road network in
publications: the year and can be sent to:
the world, at 746 978km. The national road network
managed by SANRAL spans 22 253km. This makes Daily Tenders internshipswr@nra.co.za (Western Region)
up only 3% of the total road network, but carries 34.9% Lead2business: www.l2b.co.za internshipsnr@nra.co.za (Northern Region)
of all traffic, and up to 70% of all long-distance road SANRAL website: www.nra.co.za internshipser@nra.co.za (Eastern Region)
freight. SAFCEC: www.safcec.org.za internshipssr@nra.co.za (Southern Region)
CIDB: www.cidb.org.za
What are the costs associated with road Government Printing Works
maintenance? Tender Bulletin: www.gpwonline.org.co.za
Crack sealing, cleaning drainage structures and grass E-tender portal – National Treasury:
cutting cost between R11 and R20 per linear metre. A www.etender.gov.za
reseal costs between R70 and R200 per square metre, Sub-contracting tenders are advertised in specific
depending on preparatory work. Pothole repairs cost local and regional newspapers linked to the areas in
between R200 and R400 per linear metre. which the services will be rendered.
Remember to Stay Safe
Wear a mask Wash your hands Sanitise your hands Practice social distancing
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