Despite extreme challenges resulting from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the City of Cape Town Fleet Management has been able to continue to procure critical vehicles, and specialised plant as it continues to build on its service delivery mandate. The City has also recently welcomed its first female fleet manager.

Recently the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Assets Management Alderman James Vos together with the City’s first female fleet manager Yusra Ebrahim visited the City’s vehicle yard in Maitland.

Ms Ebrahim said: ‘The demographic within the industry is changing and we now have female representation on all levels within the Fleet sector. We have women dominating in the workshops as artisans and now as the first fleet manager within Fleet Management. I hope to be an inspiration to other women and an example that no matter what it is you want to do or become, being a woman is not a limitation.’

During the visit, they inspected some of the new replacement fleet.

‘As a City, we need to be mindful of the economic environment in both the city and the country, and simultaneously ensure that we equip our local government teams with tools that will help them to respond with efficiency and professionalism to the growing needs of a major metro such as Cape Town.

‘As such, a R189 million budget that was approved by Council in 2020/21 has been prioritised into a R175 million allocation for the replacement of critical vehicles, and a R14 million allocation for the replacement of plant,’ said Alderman Vos.

Approximately 70% of the budget for critical vehicle replacements, or R120 million, was allocated towards fleet for Safety and Security, with the remaining funds going towards Community Services, Health and other prioritised areas within the city.

‘Procuring these vehicles has been no easy feat for the Fleet Management team who have had to work around a pandemic-related shortage of products due to limitations and reductions in manufacturing vehicles and plant.

‘The City’s investment in its Fleet Replacement Programme contributes positively not only to creating a safer city, but also ensures a reliable, safe and available fleet for all City directorates that service our communities,’ said Alderman Vos.

The new fleet ranges from patrol vehicles to utility vehicles and specialised vehicles such as fire trucks.

‘We have also rolled out an optimised in-house model and hybrid approach to maintenance, together with a strategy to optimise the cost of ownership for the City to become competitive with external service providers.

‘These vehicles could not have arrived at a more important time and I am immensely thankful to the Fleet Management team and the co-operation of my Mayco colleagues/Council for their assistance in driving this forward,’ said Alderman Vos.

Caption: Yusra Ebrahim, Manager: Fleet Management Services, Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management and Donavin Govender, Head: Corporate Fleet and Plant Fleet for Management Services.

Source: City Of Cape Town