Nearly R360m underspending by Gauteng transport department hampers mobility - DA

The Gauteng department of roads and transport underspent its budget by R359.6m in the 2018/2019 financial year due to shaky procurement processes. Picture: Mujahid Safodien 11 08 2011

The Gauteng department of roads and transport underspent its budget by R359.6m in the 2018/2019 financial year due to shaky procurement processes. Picture: Mujahid Safodien 11 08 2011

Published Sep 23, 2019

Share

JOHANNESBURG - The Gauteng department of roads and transport underspent its budget by R359.6 million in the 2018/2019 financial year due to shaky procurement processes and overall bad management, the main opposition Democratic Alliance said on Monday.

The underspending, revealed in the deartment’s annual report, resulted in delays in key infrastructure projects, DA shadow member of the executive council for roads and transport in Gauteng Fred Nel said in a statement.

This was further exacerbated by very poor contract management which saw several projects cancelled due to poor contractor performance.

This had led to bottlenecks in issuing public transport operator licenses, a growing backlog delivering new and expanded road network capacity and the increased risk of road accidents due to poor infrastructure maintenance.

"This department is in serious need of a turnaround or else Gauteng will be faced with an increased risk of gridlock on its roads as well as violence in the public transport industry due to poor control over licensing," Nel said.

He urged Gauteng premier David Makhura to intervene "to save the department from itself before its incapacity further impacts on the economy of the province".

- African News Agency (ANA) 

Related Topics: