No end to un-repaired pavements
Some residents appear to be nothing less than fed-up with the state of pavements in the northern Joburg suburbs.
The Rosebank Killarney Gazette has received many letters from residents and pedestrians who say they have lodged complaints with the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) about pavements that are dug up and left un-repaired, but have seen no results.
Resident Neill Ettridge said a pavement on 1st Avenue, Parkhurst must have been dug-up more than a year ago. Wendy McAllister, deputy chairperson of the Craigpark Residents’ Association, said due to pavements being dug up, no one can walk on Jan Smuts Avenue without having to eventually walk on the road.
Resident Dorothy Watkins said although she had been complaining for years about the lack of pavement and road maintenance in the lower Greenside and Parkhurst area, the situation just gets worse.
“The councillors don’t appear to have any clout, but I also don’t understand why the Greenside, Parkhurst and Parkview residents’ associations, which are reputedly the most pro-active, committed, resident’s associations in Gauteng” aren’t lobbying the municipality or that of the roads agency and whoever else is responsible for public areas, roads and pavements,” said Watkins.
In early April, ward councillor Tim Truluck said he lodged 135 road issues in the ward with JRA and the majority of them pertained to pavements.
He said, “It would appear as though the JRA are reluctant to repair damage done by contractors who dig and then disappear.”
Truluck said pavements were very difficult to get reinstated or repaired as the JRA seemed more focused on roads most of the time.
“I hope that the new communications system and apps launched by JRA will make it easier to identify, log and resolve issues,” said Truluck.
Truluck encouraged the community to report any company or resident digging up the roads or pavements directly to jra@hotline.co.za and to him, so he could find out from the JRA whether they had granted permission to do so.
The roads agency was contacted on 15 April and had not responded at the time of going to press.
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