GroundUp reports that the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality has paid nearly R25 million for the construction of bus shelters, but the contractor has abandoned the work and the shelters are in ruins.
Municipal spokesperson Mthubanzi Mniki said R24.9 million of the more than R57 million contract had been paid to Halifax Group to provide shelters for users of the Libhongelethu Bus Services. The Libhongolethu Bus Company was formed in 2012 and is owned by the municipality. It was meant to operate in the townships of Gqeberha, Kariega and Despatch, but it is only operating in the northern areas of Gqeberha. The bus shelter project was to have been completed in June 2019, but the contractor abandoned construction midway. Halifax apparently left the project after the municipality fined the company for slow progress. Princess Tobin-Diouf, a public relations officer at the municipality, advised that 12 shelters meant to accommodate between 30 and 180 people, and 22 smaller shelters had been partly completed. An additional nine kerbside shelters have not yet been built. On 2 March, the municipality served Halifax with a notice of intention to terminate the contract. Meanwhile, the municipality’s safety and security directorate has been ordered to protect the structures.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Joseph Chirume at GroundUp
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