Over 100 000 potholes repaired and counting

• Over 100 000 potholes repaired by The Pothole Patrol in one year.
• Over 4 400 potholes reported in Sandton alone.
• Roodepoort given the unfortunate crown of area with the most potholes.
• William Nicol labelled as the most treacherous road in Joburg.

The Pothole Patrol, is a partnership between the City of Johannesburg, Discovery Insure and Dialdirect Insurance. Since it’s launch in May 2021, the initiative has repaired more than 100 000 potholes in Johannesburg.

In a statement made by Executive Mayor, Cllr Mpho Phalatse, The City of Johannesburg is proud to partner with Discovery Insure and Dialdirect Insurance to ensure that our roads are of a good quality and safe. As we build a City of Golden Opportunities, we must get the basics right, and this includes repairing and maintaining aged infrastructure  We will only build Joburg with the help of businesses, residents and other spheres of government.

The Pothole Patrol launched an app to simplify the reporting process for residents of Joburg in October last year, which accelerated the programme’s output.   

Head of Dialdirect Anneli Retief says, while the unprecedented wet weather unfortunately exacerbated the already dire pothole situation in Johannesburg, and an unexpected bitumen shortage has caused a few delays, we’ve successfully managed to exceed our mandated repair target by 25%, month-on-month.  We have also increased our repair fleet and employed additional resources to help manage the increased number of reports.

Anton Ossip, CEO of Discovery Insure says that the introduction of The Pothole Patrol in Johannesburg has paid dividends in the form of reduced pothole-related insurance claims in Johannesburg.

The Pothole Patrol received a very high number of reports from the following arterial roads:

-        William Nicol Drive, where 155 potholes were reported

-        Jan Smuts Road: 110 potholes have been reported

-        Ontdekkers Road: 104 potholes reported

-        Beyers Naude: 90 pothole have been reported

Joburg road users are encouraged to log calls with the City of Johannesburg call centre at 0860 562 874, choose option 5 for the JRA, OR they can download the Pothole Patrol apps on the Apple App and Google Play stores, and to continue to support this initiative by reporting potholes.

Happy first birthday to The Pothole Patrol, here’s to smoother roads.