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Category:
Insurance News
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Car
Insurance
/ January 2011
Pothole Brigade Leads By Example
The Dial Direct Pothole Brigade, which launched as a pilot-project
in August 2010, announced its partnership with Lead SA, an
initiative that aims to mobilise South Africans to be the change
they want to see.
The Pothole Brigade will also be working in conjunction with
the Gauteng Provincial Department of Roads and Transport
and the Johannesburg Roads Agency, in order to broaden its scope of
repair in Johannesburg.
The Pothole
Brigade urges motorists who identify potholes to report these either
online via
www.leadsa.co.za or
www.potholebrigade.co.za; by dialing
*120*1551# on a cellphone and following the onscreen instructions
(STD USSD rates apply); or via the mobi site -
potholebrigade.mobi.
According to Bradley Du Chenne, Senior Executive: Dial Direct
Insurance,
“Over 3500 potholes have been repaired in and around Johannesburg
since the pilot launch and our innovative pothole reporting
technology has been well-received by the public.
“With this
additional support from Lead SA and Government,
we
will supplement the work already being done by Government agencies -
in the spirit of partnership. Dial Direct is all about providing
simple, smart insurance solutions and The Pothole Brigade follows
suit by offering a simple, smart solution to an issue that affects
us all. This initiative could also eliminate unnecessary claims on
motorist’s car insurance policies and save motorists money in the
long run.”
A memorandum of
understanding was signed by Dial Direct, the Gauteng
Provincial
Department of
Roads and Transport and the Johannesburg Roads Agency this morning
to cement the long-term commitment to this initiative.
“Lead SA
encourages South Africans to stand up and make a difference,” said
Primedia Broadcasting CEO and driver of the Lead SA initiative,
Terry Volkwyn.
“With The
Pothole Brigade, Dial Direct is not only standing up, they are also
creating a platform for the public to make a difference. By simply
reporting a problem, motorists on our roads are standing up – and
they get to see the impact their seemingly small action has made.
It’s a way of seeing the Lead SA principles in action, and will
hopefully encourage users to report other problems in their
environment.
“Furthermore,
this initiative brings together the public and private sector, and
highlights the great solutions that are possible when we work
together. We thank Dial Direct as well as the
Gauteng Provincial Department of Roads and Transport and the
Johannesburg
Roads Agency for coming together to Lead SA.”
The Dial Direct Pothole Brigade
uses
innovative ‘Jetpatcher’ technology to repair potholes.
The Jetpatcher series of pothole patching machines were designed and
built in New Zealand and have
been
used by Local Government, National Highway Authorities and
contractors for over 20 years in more than 15 countries around the
world.
Jetpatcher is a state-of-the-art machine
that is placed on the chassis of a truck.
A high pressure
compressor is then used to blow
out dirt, dust, debris and any collected water from the pothole. The
jet airflow then penetrates and cleans out cracks and fissures to
ensure that complete waterproofing is achieved.
The operator then feeds aggregate into the jet distributor. As the
aggregate or
dry stone material
passes through the nozzle it is coated with fresh
emulsion and is sprayed into the pothole or broken road edge.
Because the Jetpatcher’s asphalt mix is sprayed at speeds of up to
100km/hr, compaction is achieved from the bottom up, and the result
is denser than rolled asphalt.
The top of the repair is then protected from the traffic flow using
dry aggregate sprayed from the Jetpatcher.
This
process results in a quality repair that takes very little time and
avoids further damage to the road base.
A 500mm x 500mm pothole that is 150mm deep takes 15 minutes to
prepare and fill. It can then be driven over immediately.
“The Department of
Roads and Transport welcomes the official launch of The Dial Direct
Pothole Brigade joint initiative and proudly affirms our commitment
to be part of this Public-Private-Partnership,” says MEC Ismail
Vadi.
“The Johannesburg Roads Agency is already repairing on average of 5
000 potholes per month. Believing in the importance of government
working together with the private sector and civil society - we
think that this partnership will enable us to do even more in the
interests of the citizens of Johannesburg", said Rehana Moosajee,
MMC
for
Transport in the City of Johannesburg.
Du
Chenne advises that if you do unwittingly drive over a pothole and
you are concerned, get your car checked-out by a professional,
particularly if there are bumps protruding from the sidewall of your
tyre, if there is recurring loss of air pressure and if there is
vibration in the steering wheel, the seat of your vehicle or at your
feet in the foot-well.
“Then, log onto
www.leadsa.co.za or
www.potholebrigade.co.za to report the pothole so that The Dial
Direct Pothole Brigade can repair it!” says Du Chenne.
Once you report a pothole to The Dial Direct Pothole Brigade, a
reference number, which you can use to track the repair status of
the pothole, will be sent to you. You will also have the opportunity
to opt in for updates via SMS or email.
The pothole you report will be inspected and if The Dial Direct
Pothole Brigade can repair it, it will be filled using Jetpatcher
technology.
If
the pothole is beyond The Dial Direct Pothole Brigade’s scope of
repair, the details will be sent on to either the Gauteng Provincial
Department of Roads and Transport or the Johannesburg Roads Agency.
“The best thing about this initiative is that it won’t cost
motorists a cent. Dial Direct is covering all the costs of
repairs. Our intention is to make a difference and to give
something back to the community,” concludes Du Chenne.
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