Shock as 122 government vehicles gather dust

More than 122 Eastern Cape government vehicles – including six emergency vehicle bakkies – bought more than a year ago by the provincial Government Fleet Management Services are gathering dust at the entity’s Woodbrook offices in East London.

Provincial transport spokesman Unathi Binqose this week confirmed that 122 vehicles were sitting at the provincial government garages gathering dust. Of the 122, six are Land Cruisers which were meant to be converted into emergency vehicles for the health department.

“We have 10 Land Cruisers – six are for conversion, three are short-term rentals and one is to be issued as a replacement to a client department,” Binqose said.

He said two of the bakkies had been delivered in January last year and the rest in October last year.

“Each of the bakkies cost the provincial government R499 164. The six are awaiting departmental processes to be converted. As of Monday, 122 vehicles are at government garages not being utilised. After procurement we need to prepare them for what they had been procured for. This includes licensing, fitting the necessary accessories like tracking devices, and branding.”

The health department has a shortage of emergency vehicles.

Health spokesman Lwandile Sicwetsha this week revealed that the province is operating with only 247 ambulances while the other 200 sit at private government garages awaiting repairs.

National Treasury and the Transport Department outsourced all maintenance for the country’s 110 435 fleet to Transit Solutions for billions of rands. In April 2014, Treasury entered into a five-year transversal contract where the state purchased vehicles directly from manufacturers but outsourced maintenance, repairs and fuel to Transit Solutions.

Outsourced all maintenance to Transit Solutions for billions of rands

Sicwetsha said according to the national norms and standards, there should be one ambulance to 10 000 people.

“This means we need 690 ambulances based on the population of 6.9 million in the Eastern Cape.”

Sicwetsha said to add to their woes, the department also had to deal with an outbreak of attacks on ambulances in various districts.

“In the past four weeks, 11 ambulances responding to emergency calls and transporting patients to health facilities, were attacked in Mzamomhle, Keiskammahoek, Dimbaza, Peddie, King William’s Town, Alice, Fort Beaufort, Tsholomnqa and Duncan Village.” – DDC