{
  "id": 18649113,
  "title": "KZN road team to assess potholes on R102 after tyre-damage complaints",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/kzn-road-team-to-assess-potholes-on-r102-after-tyre-damage-complaints",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-07T06:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/sunday-tribune/news/2026-11-07-kzn-road-team-to-assess-potholes-on-r102-after-tyre-damage-complaints/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport has announced that a team will assess damaged sections of the R102 road in Verulam after complaints of tyre damage, uneven surfaces, and alleged accidents. Verulam Business Forum chairperson Roshan Lil-Ruthan reported witnessing at least three vehicles sustaining tyre damage after hitting potholes on November 1. Lil-Ruthan had previously written to the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport, requesting urgent permanent repairs to the affected roads. The department had been directed by MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma to eliminate potholes and improve road safety across the province. The most critical concern was a large pothole on the southbound carriageway of the R102, which has significantly deteriorated and now poses a severe hazard to road users. Lil-Ruthan also mentioned two additional problematic areas on the northbound carriageway towards King Shaka International Airport, including a severely ridged, lifted, and uneven left lane that has caused instability for heavy vehicles and resulted in multiple accidents and near-misses. He stated that the continual patch repairs were proving ineffective and exposing road users to unacceptable risks, requesting a proper engineering assessment and permanent remedial works to address the root cause of the failures. The KZN Department of Transport assured that a team would attend to the issue as soon as possible, with the team from their north office ensuring the work is completed on P100 and dealing with R102, especially the identified problem areas. They will report back on progress and timelines, with plans to assess the damaged sections and suggest interventions if black top patching is inadequate.",
  "summary": "A KwaZulu-Natal transport team will assess damaged sections of Verulam’s R102 after the local business forum reported potholes, uneven surfaces and alleged vehicle damage.",
  "key_points": [
    "KZN Department of Transport to assess R102 road damage.",
    "Three vehicles reported tyre damage on November 1.",
    "Large pothole on southbound R102 identified as critical hazard."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Prioritizing engineering assessments over ineffective patch repairs signals a shift toward addressing the root causes of road deterioration to protect motorists from recurring accidents and vehicle damage.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}