JOHANNESBURG - Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba on Wednesday handed over the last batch of 115 trucks to the city's metro police department, City Power, Johannesburg Roads Agency and Joburg Zoo.
So far 346 trucks, valued at R247million have been delivered. The trucks are intended to help officials respond to service delivery issues faster.
"These vehicles are about service delivery in Johannesburg and we are committed to a Johannesburg that works," said Mashaba.
He made his remarks at the handover ceremony at the Nasrec expo centre.
"We still have a long journey ahead of us. There can be no doubt that the City is moving in the right direction," said Mashaba.
The mayor was accompanied by member of the mayoral committee (MMC) for corporate and shared services, Ntombi Khumalo, Johannesburg Metro Police Department chief David Tembe, MMC for community development, Nonhlanhla Sifumba and chief operating officer Floyd Brink.
"These new specialised units will ensure that our departments can efficiently and effectively deliver essential services across all our regions," said Mashaba,
"For example, it means that the delays in responding to power failures, faulty cables and cable thefts, which also endanger our communities, will be attended to timeously and efficiently."
Some of the vehicles will be used to help workers fill potholes and it will now be easier for the city to attend to burst pipes and leaks quicker. It will also assist in preventative scheduled maintenance.
"As we know, potholes have been a cause for daily frustration to our motorists, causing massive damages to vehicles. Consequently, they have caused traffic jams and accidents," said Mashaba.
"I would like to encourage the officials to look after the new equipment to allow them to perform their many duties better."
"We are sensitive to the fact that we still have some way to go in our quest to deliver the change we envisage for all our residents," said the mayor.