Local manufacturers benefit from municipal fleet upgrade
Published: May 03, 2023<< BACK TO NEWS
The Nelson
Mandela Bay Municipality today received Volkswagen and Isuzu fleet vehicles to
replace an ageing fleet. The handover
took place at Vuyisile Square in front of City Hall with municipal officials
and department representatives in attendance.
Executive
Mayor Cllr Retief Odendaal and Member of the Mayoral Committee for Roads and
Transport Cllr Rano Kayser presented the eighteen Polo cars, two T-Roc SUVs,
five motorcycles, three water tankers and two sponsored mobile alcohol testing trucks.
Odendaal
said the decision to buy vehicles from locally based manufacturing companies was
intentional as these entities contribute greatly to the city’s economy and
local employment.
"This
is not just a gesture of gratitude for their commitment to Nelson Mandela Bay, but
the money spent will now contribute to the Eastern Cape and the local economy.
"Although
I am aware that the municipal fleet was not managed as well as it should have
been over the years, I am very proud of the progress made the last couple of
months to address the aging fleet.
"These
small SUVs are more than adequate, of excellent quality and an economical
choice. The time for buying expensive vehicles or spending exorbitantly on
rental fees is now over,” Mayor Odendaal said.
Most
of the cars will become part of the Safety and Security fleet as well as the
mobile alcohol testing vehicles, sponsored by South African Breweries (SAB).
The motorcycles will be used for beach patrols and to curb illegal dumping.
Measures
to improve the management of the municipal fleet started in September 2022 with
the implementation of a digital platform to enable the seamless tracking of
fuel consumption, evaluate driver behaviour and to curtail fraud and theft
amongst others.
MMC
for Roads and Transport Cllr Rano Kayser says this innovation led to an
immediate saving on fuel expenditure.
"Two
months after the digitisation started, fuel consumption dropped from R9 million
per month to R4,2 million – a more than 50% saving.
"In
addition, approximately 563 vehicles will be auctioned off. Details will be announced after the internal
approval process is completed,” MMC Kayser said.
Mayor
Odendaal said an internal system will be put in place to curb the abuse of
municipal vehicles and encourage residents to report incidents at 0800 20 50
50.
Ends
Issued by the Nelson Mandela Bay
Municipality Office of the Executive Mayor. For more information please contact
Mayoral Media Liaison Officer, Jeanine Nel at 082 512 5631
Top stories
.jpg)