Headache over potholes continues

Residents and businesses using the busy Vincent Tshabalala Road feel neglected due to the city’s delay in fixing potholes between 5th and 6th avenues.

The potholes which this paper has reported on on several occasions are getting larger and deeper, and have reduced this section of road to one lane which, during peak hour, gets extremely congested. Some of the potholes are clogged with debris and floating rubbish due to the uncontrolled running water from communal taps and overflowing storm water drains.

These potholes filled with water hide the danger to motorists who risk damaging their vehicles due to the depth and size of the potholes.

In March, road repair signs were placed on site to the delight of road users – but their hopes were dashed when the signs were removed a week later. Three months down the line and the road is still unrepaired.

Resident Steve Mokone said he wasn’t surprised, as generally township residents were not regarded as a high priority by authorities who seem to forget that they, too, pay service levies.

“They pretend we are non-existent, and are insensitive to our needs. [They are] keen to prioritise suburban roads where the rich and few reside, and only react when we protest,” he said.

Motorist Annah Bhengu said the road was used by thousands of vehicles daily. “Most of them are business transporters who use it as an alternative link between the East Rand, OR Tambo airport and Joburg CBD and Sandton,” she said. “It conveys millions of rands worth of business, and many passengers daily, and deserves urgent repairs – [more] than suburban roads which have been prioritised. Moreover, it is like a national road.”

Occupants of disused factories along the road say they have seen vehicles swerving wildly to avoid the potholes, but say they are afraid to fill the potholes themselves due to the constant flow of traffic.

The city has announced that billions of rand have been allocated for road maintenance and fixing potholes caused by storms earlier this year. It recently introduced a software application, Find and Fix, so the public can alert the roads agency of potholes.

Also, local councillor Mokgadi Hadebe said in this paper’s article ‘Ward 81 new housing project meeting’ of 16 May, that council had committed to resurface the road some time back, but was unsure of the reason for the delay.