Potholes raise ire of Ramsgate ratepayers
The matter was reported to Ray Nkonyeni Municipality, however they were told that Marine Drive is a national road and belongs to the Department of Transport.
For over eight months motorists driving along Marine Drive in Ramsgate have been at risk of causing a fatal accident, trying to avoid potholes which have formed as a result of a water leaks along that road.
Just below Crayfish Inn, a number of potholes forces motorists to veer into oncoming traffic, to prevent their tyres and rims from being damaged.
Also, on the off-ramp to the Ramsgate BP Garage, a huge hole was dug up to fix a water leak and it has been left uncovered.
Johnny Louch, a resident in the area called a meeting with other ratepayers last Thursday, to discuss the issue and come up with resolutions to get the relevant department to fix the road.
He said the matter was reported to Ray Nkonyeni Municipality, however they were told that Marine Drive is a national road and belongs to the Department of Transport (DoT) , however, DoT has not come to the party either.
Louch said: “One of the concerns is that Ramsgate is a tourist destination and the state of this road is a shame. This is a main road.”
The residents also said as a community they are tired of paying rates for services they are not getting.
Wayne Brider said he feels that with community organisations such as Tidy Towns working so hard to keep the town clean, the municipality has taken a back seat.
“Recently a team was seen fixing a pothole near Bill’s Best, they patched up one and drove down Marine Drive and wouldn’t have missed the potholes. I feel that as ratepayers we are paying the municipality and they leave the work to be done by other people.”
Lesley Pole said: “We were told that the municipality and DoT have a roads plan, this was said three years ago at a meeting at the town hall, however no plan of action has come out from that.”
Residents said they want answers and action before an accident occurs.
Councillor Alan Bosch confirmed that the matter has been raised with Ugu and Ray Nkonyeni municipalities and DoT, but nothing has been done as yet.
“According to DoT they cannot fix the road until Ugu fixes all the water leaks,” he added.
The community held a peaceful protest against the appalling state of the road, aimed at getting the attention of the relevant stakeholders, to take action last Wednesday
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