A persistant parking problem between the Department of Home Affairs Roodepoort and Roodepoort Labour Centre might soon be solved with land to be earmarked for a new parking lot.
This thanks to the combined efforts of Ward 71 councillor Gert Niemand, Titan International managing consultant Dr Anton Schulz, Home Affairs Roodepoort manager Pearl Poto and other stakeholders, who met on the site last week (Monday 20 July). The complaints, largely brought to Niemand’s attention by Schulz in a recent email, include that residents illegally park on the yellow line of service roads and even the pavement, blocking renters of neighbouring factories and buildings and their customers from entering their premises.
Poto confirmed to the Record Metro Police have been summoned to Albertina Sisulu Road regularly over the past few months to fine these motorists, but to no avail.
“I have seen motorists throw those tickets in the street in front of this building myself,” Poto said.
“The fact is we simply do not have enough parking for our staff in front of the building, never mind our customers and the customers of the labour centre next door.
“To keep fining clients simply because they have no other option is not the best road going forward.”
From the site meeting the suggestion came to utilise an empty lot near the Horison Station (behind the labour centre and Jumbo Meat Market) in Willem van Reekum Street as an extra parking lot for both departments.
Niemand is in the process of confirming whether the lot belongs to Public Works or the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa). Depending on who it belongs to, the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) can start work on converting it into parking space soon, Niemand told the Record.
