JEDDAH: The Jeddah Municipality has terminated a number of contracts with local contractors for not abiding by regulations and failing to meet standards in filling potholes in the city’s streets, said municipal spokesman Ahmad Al-Ghamdi. He neither gave the number of contracts canceled nor the names of companies involved.
The municipality initiated a campaign in August to eliminate an estimated 28,000 potholes around the city. Rainfalls earlier this month exposed recently repaired potholes, in addition to creating new ones.
Al-Ghamdi said potholes are common in the city due to a lack of drainage and the high number of heavy vehicles, especially water trucks, plying the roads. He added that part of the problem had to do with contractors who shoddily refilled holes they dug up for various purposes.
Some contractors fill the holes without sufficiently packing down the loose soil before covering it with asphalt.
The municipality has a short-term plan to train officials on gathering information on the exact number of damaged roads and identifying them with the help of geographical mapping software.
It also plans to offer four new contracts for paving the potholes on the main roads around the city.
