If the dire state of the City’s infrastructure and year-round public outcry is anything to go by, the City of Ekurhuleni is gradually falling into disrepair.
Potholes, dysfunctional streetlights, delayed waste collection, damaged stormwater and sewage drains, water leaks, power outages, illegal dumpsites, illegal structures and poor by-law enforcement are happening all over the City, and it appears little is being done by authorities to address these problems.
There are claims the metro has run out of money and lacks resources to function properly, which resulted in poor service delivery, but the metro has previously refuted such claims.
Also Read: Beyers Park resident voluntarily fixes potholes across Boksburg
The deteriorating service delivery, in many areas across the City, has provoked widespread service delivery protests and is being spotlighted by the continued public outcry.
After being inundated with poor service delivery complaints from readers, The Advertiser visited a few areas, and the situation is as follows:
Roads are falling apart
There are huge potholes on Pretoria Road near the traffic lights at the intersection of Main Reef and Pretoria Road in Comet. According to residents, the holes have been causing problems for motorists driving norths towards the ERMP Golf Course for months now.
Annelize Landsberg, an employee of one of the companies on Pretoria Road said the holes were reported to the metro, but nothing has happened.
“We have seen many motorists hitting these potholes, causing tyre bursts. I also use the road on a daily basis and it’s difficult to turn left into Main Reef because the pothole has taken almost the whole lane,” said Landsberg.
The deterioration of the roads and poor response to repair them has prompted a local resident to take matters into his own hands.
The stretch of Madeley Road between Rietfontein and Pretoria roads is so potholed that it has become impossible to drive on it in a straight line. Road markings are non-existent.
This road defects on Field Road is putting motorists in danger. Concerned residents and drivers are pleading with the metro to attend to the problem urgently.
Streetlights are dysfunctional
Driving along a couple of roads, the Advertiser noticed scores of streetlights burning bright during the day, wasting precious energy resources. These include Rondebult Road, Commissioner Street, Sydney Road and many others.
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A Bartlett resident, Hannes Wait, said he and fellow residents had to wait more than 10 years to get the metro to fix damaged streetlights on Dr Vosloo Road between George and Trichardts roads.
“We logged numerous calls with Ekurhuleni with no or very little response, but we are happy the streetlights are today working, as the metro finally sent out contractors on May 14 to carry out the repairs,” said Wait.
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