Pointsmen may return until new tender is finalised

The Metro police have been deployed to do traffic management while the City of Johannesburg is engaged in talks with the service providers of the OUTsurance pointsmen to extend the contract on a month-to-month basis until a new contract has been awarded.

This follows after the contract between the City of Johannesburg and Traffic Freeflow came to an end on 31 August. The company sponsored by OUTsurance has been providing services of pointsmen for about 14 years on a three-year-renewal contract basis. However, their contract was not renewed recently and a new tender was advertised for the job.

Spokesperson for the City, Nthatisi Modingoane, said the municipality was engaging the service provider with intention to extend the contract on a month-to-month basis for not more than six months until a new contract has been awarded.

“We would like to sincerely apologise to our residents for the miscommunication regarding this issue and any inconvenience and frustration caused by traffic congestion in their absence,” he said.

According to Modingoane, the Metro police have deployed about 300 officers on a daily basis to manage traffic covering 55 identified spots and 89 school points and 150 traffic wardens have been deployed daily to deal with the traffic in the inner city as a result of the M2 highway maintenance.

“The JMPD will be increasing its efforts while the contract extension is being finalised. In addition, the City is nearing the finalisation of its competitive bidding process to appoint private partners to enhance traffic management services in the city.”

Chief executive officer of Traffic Freeflow, Bheki Zondo confirmed that they were in talks with the City. “We are engaging with the City to resolve the matter. Three companies, including us, have bid for the tender. We will wait for the City to make its decision and hopefully, we get it and the 161 pointsmen would return to work.”

Modingoane requested the public to be patient during the process of awarding the tender. “It is important to understand that we work within a highly regulated environment, and even though this is a free service to the City, due process in terms of our Supply Chain Management Policy must be followed.

“There can be no doubt that these traffic pointsmen have become a major part of traffic management in the city and are loved by many residents. This is a tradition we wish to see continued.”

Related Article: 

https://midrandreporter.co.za/223658/city-seeks-extension-outsurance-pointsmen-contract-tender-process-completed/