Mahalapye Bus rank at defects liability stage
The works at Mahalapye Bus rank are currently at defects liability to the contractor stage after it experienced several failures for use.
Mahalapye District Council Chairmain Bathasetse Merementsi told the council that the P10 million funding for the rehabilitation of the Mahalapye bus rank was progressing well. He said they devised a plan to accomplish four critical components of the total works
The components included construction of storm water drainages in order to improve drainage within the old mall, construction of a security fence around the rank area to alleviate criminal acts, to erect a tower light and to raise the bus bays and stabilising them so that they can withstand pressure especially from heavy-duty vehicles.
“The bulk of the budget - 60 per cent was used on storm water drainage works. The works of stabilising the bus bays was not successful after two Geotech surveys and the attempt last year to correct the initial collapse.
“Additional excavations were done and a successful trial-run allowed us to open the rank in December 2022. After the second collapse of the bus bays the bus rank was closed until today. The works are still under defects liability to the Contractor,” explained Merementsi.
The chairman noted the bad conditions of the district’s infrastructure and the need for them to be maintained or redone. He said the roads infrastructure in the entire district of both bituminous and gravel roads are in bad condition.
According to Merementsi, most of the internal tarred roads especially those in Mahalapye have deteriorated as they have long reached their life span and have not been maintained for a long period.
A growing volume of traffic and uncontrolled surface water run-off due to poor drainage system aggravates the situation. This has resulted in high maintenance costs and the scenario has been challenging to address due to council’s constrained annual budget.
He told the full council meeting that the current challenge of frequent breakdown of the machinery has made adherence to the grading schedule difficult.
“With these difficulty, several modalities are being worked out to improve the conditions; the CCP programme and the Transition National Development Plan will be utilised to provide resources for maintenance of roads.
“We have also been patching some critical spots of the Mahalapye roads and have covered approximately 200m2,” Merementsi explained.
He said the upgrading of the council has led to the need to transform its operations in line with those of a District. They need to become fully-established by coming up with their own identity and ways of doing business.
He said so far Transition Task Teams were formed to come up with Standing Orders, District Council Emblem, Vision and Mission, Corporate Colours and other necessary preparations.
The Adhoc Committee for formulation of standing orders has been working around the clock and standing orders are about to be completed. The standing orders are a tool used to regulate the business and procedures of Council in line with Local Government Act of 2012.