A Word from the MD

Welcome to our new web site. We have endeavoured to bring you a site that is not only beautiful in appearance but useful as a tool for Johannesburg's road using community. That community incorporates not only drivers of motor-cars and trucks, but taxis, buses and even pedestrians.

The JRA has a mobility strategy that focuses on public transport, moving goods and services, and the economy. We have enhanced our structures allowing us to implement the planned activities. One of two challenges that we faced during the finalisation of our corporate structure, was to understand and pinpoint how we were going to address skills development through our EPWP projects. We are not only focusing on hard skills but have incorporated life skills, business management and leadership development.

We are now in the business of creating sustainable jobs - helping people establish small businesses in the areas in which they have been trained. We then place these companies on our database and when new projects are initiated that require sub-contractors, these become our first choice suppliers.

One of our pilot projects involved creating ten companies for 50 women in the roads infrastructure sector. Of the ten, four have successfully tendered for the construction of houses and the rest are working on other JRA projects.

One of my biggest concerns, highlighted because I am a woman and a mother, is the safety of women and children on our roads. A major issue that we have to deal with, too frequently is the loss of children's lives due to speeding vehicles. Traffic calming measures alone will not solve the problem, the challenge we face is to change mindsets and behaviour.

When we improve our city, we improve the quality of life for everyone in the city, if women and children are free from the worries that result from inadequate roads infrastructure, they are better empowered to realise their dreams.

Dudu Maseko
MD