Sunninghill’s taxi ranks gets a scrub down

“Residents and companies have been complaining about this situation for many months now,” she said. “There isn’t any running water and functioning electricity. This causes a serious health risk for the residents and commuters that use the rank.”

The councillor, members of the Sunninghill Residents Association, municipal entity Pikitup, the Johannesburg Roads Agency and Sunninghill council official Jeanney Portia Makape were involved in the clean-up campaign.

Volunteers from engineering company DRA also participated. The company is located next to the taxi rank and is directly affected by the masses of taxis parked near its property.

“We have a problem with the lack of parking space,” said Edith Penfold of DRA. “Many of our clients and employees cannot get onto our property and additionally we get horrific smells in the air from time to time. This is worrying.”

Deppe admitted that although the space was being used illegally, it was in the best interest for the residents, taxi owners and members of the municipality to work together to make the space safe and clean for the commuters.

The lack of health sanitation and running water has forced many of the taxi drivers and commuters to use water from a small river nearby, to wash their taxis and even use it as a toilet.

Makape said, “This is a major concern as the river runs past Paulshof, Sunninghill, Barbeque Downs, Kyalami and Blue Hills and effects all residents that live close by.”

The roads agency provided two trucks and a grader which removed rubbish and rubble that had been dumped on the site and flattened the holding area.

Delighted by this, Deppe explained it had ensured taxis would now not obstruct vehicles driving in both directions by illegally stopping and parking wherever they felt like it. Port-a- loos were also provided for the taxi rank users.

Deppe thanked everyone involved in the clean-up campaign.