A SENIOR manager at Buffalo City Metro’s (BCM) fleet management unit is in hot water after accepting delivery of six buses ordered by the council, even though they did not match the specifications set out in the tender.
The six buses, which are worth millions of rands and were acquired last year, are now sitting idle and losing value at a metro depot while a legal battle looms between BCM and the buses’ supplier.
A report, which was presented at a council meeting last Wednesday by city manager Andile Fani, shows that the said official accepted and signed for the buses’ delivery, despite the tender specifications having being “altered”. That means a different kind of bus than the one originally envisaged was delivered and registered in the metro’s asset register.
Fani told council an internal disciplinary case against the senior official involved has been completed.
But the verdict is still outstanding and has been delayed by the official, who wants to resign after the probe is completed.
“He just could not jump ship and resign after the probe was completed and a verdict was about to be delivered,” Fani told metro politicians.
In his report to council, Fani said after the buses were delivered and registered in the metro’s asset register, it was later discovered that they were not according to the specifications approved.
“On investigation, it transpired that the official had, without any authority or approval, agreed with the representative of the service provider to the delivery of the incorrect buses.
“The buses are still in our depot unused, gathering dust and depreciating,” Fani said.
The city manager said the service provider had been asked to take the buses back and supply new buses according to the original specifications, “but there has been no action from their side”.
According to Fani’s report, there were four bidders for the multimillion-rand contract.
Fani said accepting incorrect buses would be tantamount to changing specifications after the award had been made, adding that could “open a floodgate” of legal challenges.
Th e metro is battling to maintain a decent public transport service as many buses in its current fleet have already reached their sell-by date.
BCM spokesman Keith Ngesi said the average age of BCM’s buses was 30 years.
The city is in the process of legally forcing the supplier to take back the six buses and supply new ones according to the agreed specifications, Fani revealed.
During last week’s council meeting, politicians raised concerns that buses were sitting idle and the metro was challenged to provide a decent public transport service.
Councillors urged Fani to take drastic action against anyone found to have been responsible for the fiasco. —
Oops, BCM employee accepts wrong order
The six buses, which are worth millions of rands and were acquired last year, are now sitting idle and losing value at a metro depot while a legal battle looms between BCM and the buses’ supplier.
A report, which was presented at a council meeting last Wednesday by city manager Andile Fani, shows that the said official accepted and signed for the buses’ delivery, despite the tender specifications having being “altered”. That means a different kind of bus than the one originally envisaged was delivered and registered in the metro’s asset register.
Fani told council an internal disciplinary case against the senior official involved has been completed.
But the verdict is still outstanding and has been delayed by the official, who wants to resign after the probe is completed.
“He just could not jump ship and resign after the probe was completed and a verdict was about to be delivered,” Fani told metro politicians.
In his report to council, Fani said after the buses were delivered and registered in the metro’s asset register, it was later discovered that they were not according to the specifications approved.
“On investigation, it transpired that the official had, without any authority or approval, agreed with the representative of the service provider to the delivery of the incorrect buses.
“The buses are still in our depot unused, gathering dust and depreciating,” Fani said.
The city manager said the service provider had been asked to take the buses back and supply new buses according to the original specifications, “but there has been no action from their side”.
According to Fani’s report, there were four bidders for the multimillion-rand contract.
Fani said accepting incorrect buses would be tantamount to changing specifications after the award had been made, adding that could “open a floodgate” of legal challenges.
Th e metro is battling to maintain a decent public transport service as many buses in its current fleet have already reached their sell-by date.
BCM spokesman Keith Ngesi said the average age of BCM’s buses was 30 years.
The city is in the process of legally forcing the supplier to take back the six buses and supply new ones according to the agreed specifications, Fani revealed.
During last week’s council meeting, politicians raised concerns that buses were sitting idle and the metro was challenged to provide a decent public transport service.
Councillors urged Fani to take drastic action against anyone found to have been responsible for the fiasco. —
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