Load shedding shambles
CRISIS: NO COORDINATED MANAGEMENT IN THE BIGGEST FIVE METROS
Inconsiderate scheduling ignores the contexts and relative importance of different areas.
The response to this week’s unexpected wave of load shedding has been completely unimaginative. They were “unexpected” because, until Sunday morning, there was zero indication that the scenarios Eskom had forecast before the December break were accurate. At that stage, we were told to expect possible shortfalls from mid-January. Since then, Eskom hasn’t said much at all.
Anything above stage 2 load shedding translates into utter chaos, because of the frequency of cuts and the sheer number of areas without power.
While government’s top priority is, rightfully, to stabilise Eskom, the second priority ought to be keeping the economic disruption to an absolute minimum. Energy analyst Chris Yelland estimates stage 2 load shedding costs the productive economy R2 billion a day.
Why is there no coordinated response to this crisis, particularly in the biggest five metros (Joburg, Cape Town, Ekurhuleni, Tshwane, Ethekwini)? Entire cities sat gridlocked for vast periods of this week.
Instead, we have robotic, inconsiderate scheduling that fails to appreciate the contexts and relative importance of different areas. In this case it literally doesn’t pay to be equitable. A coordinated effort should be in place to get people to and from the major economic hubs in the major metros with minimal disruption. Well over 100 000 people drive into Sandton each day. Far more travel to the Joburg, Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town city centres, from where they travel onwards to their places of work.
Why has logic not prevailed regarding scheduling load shedding in these areas during the morning and, particularly, afternoon peaks? There’s no value in the whole of Sandton and other hubs
It doesn’t pay to be equitable
sitting in gridlock because of load shedding between 4pm and well after 7pm.
Most companies, landlords and small businesses have adapted to load shedding and are able to be productive while the lights are out. Schedule cuts in these areas during the work day.
Why are points people not deployed to the 50/80/100 most critical intersections in each city at a time to keep traffic flowing? There are tens of millions of unemployed South Africans. Find R50 million to deploy to this cause, and if the crisis continues, find more money. This is an emergency. Treat it as such.
Then there’s the issue of very little consistency between the schedules published by Eskom for directly-supplied areas and the metro municipalities. Some run four-hour blocks, others twohour blocks.
Hilton Tarrant works at YFM