POLOKWANE – Residents and motorists in Extension 44, 71, 73 and 76 say they are annoyed, angry and frustrated with the municipality as nothing is being done to improve the state of the roads in their neighbourhood.
Several people, who did not wish to be identified, said it was almost impossible for them to travel to and from their homes without damaging their vehicles.
“These roads are not suitable for those of us with cars. We have to drive very slowly to ensure the damage to our vehicles are minimal. The roads are okay for those who use 4×4 vehicles. We have reported the matter to the municipality, but they are doing nothing about the matter. They only fix and tar the main roads, the rest of the area must be happy with bad gravel roads, and this is not right,” the motorists said.
Some of the taxi drivers in the area also complained: “The roads are so bad there are times we have to drive on the wrong side of the road to pass. There are a lot of deep ditches and the roads are very bumpy. There are some parts where the road is so bad we cannot drop our clients at their desired stops and then we lose customers, because people then use the buses that can drive everywhere.”
A resident from Extension 73 said the roads were even worse when it rained.
“When it rains the roads are a big mess. It is muddy and motorists struggle to get out of their driveways because of the muddy roads. When it rains, motorists cannot see the ditches and damage their vehicles. Pedestrians also struggle because when it rains we do not see the ditches and step into them, and even get hurt. The municipality must fix this problem urgently,” the resident said.
Malesela Maubane, a municipal spokesperson, said recent heavy rainfall was the reason for the bad state of the roads.
“Torrential rainfall experienced in the recent months washed away most of our gravel roads, causing damage and affecting almost all major access roads in the municipal area.
“Grading will be done on these particular gravel roads, while soil will be brought in at damaged spots to improve and shape road formation where applicable,” Maubane said.
He added that the municipality would attend to the affected extensions on February 23 and 24. Residents can report road maintenance issues to the municipality at (015) 290 2373/2095.
