Power to people against potholes

Potholes, the bane of motorists’ lives. Take a drive on our roads and it’s near impossible not encountering one on any given trip.

It’s not even rain season, yet potholes are everywhere. The damage potholes cause to your tyres is severe, often leading to accidents and costly repairs.

Calls to the authorities at the Johannesburg Roads Agency mostly fall on deaf ears and when they are eventually attended to, they open up in a matter of weeks, becoming bigger and causing even more damage.

With this in mind, it’s wonderful to see what a bit of teamwork can achieve.

The fed-up residents part of the Panorama Residents Association took matters into their own hands,
purchasing almost a ton of premixed tar and got some residents to volunteer their time.

Local company EC Security provided a machine and labour to compact the tar. The result? One day later, nearly 100 potholes on key arterial roads had been filled. Power to the people.

Despite being proactive, taxpayers should not have to do the jobs local government have been paid to do. The Johannesburg Roads Agency must take a leaf out of these residents’ books and see what can be done in a day if they put their minds to it.