Service delivery in Buffalo City Metro was given a rev with the purchase of a fleet of vehicles valued at R56-million, which were officially handed over to mayor Xola Pakati yesterday.
The vehicles, proudly displayed to VIPs in the parking lot outside the King William’s Town Old War Memorial Hall, include three tipper trucks, two honey suckers, two cherry pickers, three double-cab bakkies and two crane trucks.
However, a supplier at the function spoke of more aerial lifts and crew cages for tippers which had been bought but were not on display.
The new fleet was paid for from the budget allocated for vehicles in the 2017-18 financial year.
BCM fleet manager Zilindile Gijana said the new fleet would help them do their jobs.
“A lot of our work on electricity is overhead and that is why we need the cherry pickers [crane with a bucket for a person on top] the crane trucks help us when we have to work with transformers and the honey suckers can help us respond more promptly in the areas where there are septic tanks,” he said.
Gijana said tipper trucks would alleviate litter and illegal dumpsite problems within the city, which at times were caused by a shortage of trucks, and garbage which could not be collected on time.
Municipal services portfolio head Helen Neal-May said the new fleet would speed up service delivery throughout the city.
Pakati said when he became mayor in 2016 the metro had only eight trucks and they had to outsource but they realised it was not viable.
“We need equipment of our own and with the new machinery we also created jobs because they need people to operate them.
“I urge our staff to take care of them,” he said.
Sipho Sandla, director of the Port Elizabeth-based service providers, Kanu Commercial Body Construction, and Volkswagen sales manager for government Nombulelo Gangxeka handed the keys to Pakati in the packed hall.
Kanu is a subsidiary of Isuzu Motors South Africa.
Sandla said the municipality purchased 10 aerial lifts and 24 crew cages.
“We must commend the municipality for being considerate of the crew with their purchase of the crew cage tippers.
“Gone are the days when a driver would be in front with the labourers exposed to the cold in the back.
“We delivered 20 crew cage tippers in May and today we delivered three normal tippers and two cherry pickers which could be seen among the other fleet exhibited today. Eight vehicles are yet to be delivered to the municipality by the end of the month.”
When asked to comment about the municipality purchasing the fleet from suppliers in the province, Sandla said the metro was sustaining jobs and boosting the economy of the province.
“I also saw Ford vehicles among the fleet and their engines are manufactured in PE, although the car is made in Pretoria, but a portion of that investment does come back to the province,” he said.
Gangxeka said they had already delivered 50 Polo Vivos to the metro in April. —
mbalit@dispatch.co.za
BCM’s R56m fleet arrives
Image: Mbali Tanana
Service delivery in Buffalo City Metro was given a rev with the purchase of a fleet of vehicles valued at R56-million, which were officially handed over to mayor Xola Pakati yesterday.
The vehicles, proudly displayed to VIPs in the parking lot outside the King William’s Town Old War Memorial Hall, include three tipper trucks, two honey suckers, two cherry pickers, three double-cab bakkies and two crane trucks.
However, a supplier at the function spoke of more aerial lifts and crew cages for tippers which had been bought but were not on display.
The new fleet was paid for from the budget allocated for vehicles in the 2017-18 financial year.
BCM fleet manager Zilindile Gijana said the new fleet would help them do their jobs.
“A lot of our work on electricity is overhead and that is why we need the cherry pickers [crane with a bucket for a person on top] the crane trucks help us when we have to work with transformers and the honey suckers can help us respond more promptly in the areas where there are septic tanks,” he said.
Gijana said tipper trucks would alleviate litter and illegal dumpsite problems within the city, which at times were caused by a shortage of trucks, and garbage which could not be collected on time.
Municipal services portfolio head Helen Neal-May said the new fleet would speed up service delivery throughout the city.
Pakati said when he became mayor in 2016 the metro had only eight trucks and they had to outsource but they realised it was not viable.
“We need equipment of our own and with the new machinery we also created jobs because they need people to operate them.
“I urge our staff to take care of them,” he said.
Sipho Sandla, director of the Port Elizabeth-based service providers, Kanu Commercial Body Construction, and Volkswagen sales manager for government Nombulelo Gangxeka handed the keys to Pakati in the packed hall.
Kanu is a subsidiary of Isuzu Motors South Africa.
Sandla said the municipality purchased 10 aerial lifts and 24 crew cages.
“We must commend the municipality for being considerate of the crew with their purchase of the crew cage tippers.
“Gone are the days when a driver would be in front with the labourers exposed to the cold in the back.
“We delivered 20 crew cage tippers in May and today we delivered three normal tippers and two cherry pickers which could be seen among the other fleet exhibited today. Eight vehicles are yet to be delivered to the municipality by the end of the month.”
When asked to comment about the municipality purchasing the fleet from suppliers in the province, Sandla said the metro was sustaining jobs and boosting the economy of the province.
“I also saw Ford vehicles among the fleet and their engines are manufactured in PE, although the car is made in Pretoria, but a portion of that investment does come back to the province,” he said.
Gangxeka said they had already delivered 50 Polo Vivos to the metro in April. —
mbalit@dispatch.co.za
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