Stairway cleared of overgrown tree
The volunteer movement for environmental issues was started as a response to the city's lack of service delivery.
THE stairway on Grays Inn Road just passed the gym on the Bluff just got clearer and more accessible.
Thanks to the selfless efforts of a group of dedicated residents who sourced out tools and got their hands dirty recently.
Overgrown trees made walking on the stairway difficult. It was also dangerous as criminals could easily hide behind the overgrowth to prey on an unsuspecting passerby.
Ward 66 councillor, Zoë Solomon, said the volunteer movement for environmental issues was started as a response to the city’s lack of service delivery.
“How is an 80-year-old woman supposed to use her shopping trolley bag and walk down her safely and without hindrance or someone jumping out the bush? I decided to get like-minded people because there was a lot of complaining about the overgrown tree on the stairs.”
“We borrowed some implements and got a chainsaw which is what we needed most. We also got a very kind woman to allow us to use her plug point for the chainsaw,” she said.
Although the turnout was a disappointment with just six other residents showing up, they still persevered and put in the work.
Madeleine Marais, Jean Korte, Lauren Embleton, Julian and Carla Warrick and Bradley Dalton gave up their Sunday morning for the community’s greater good.
Zoë said although clearing the overgrowth is not delegated to the parks department, they had been more forthcoming.
“We have had zero communication from the department concerned and parks has been most helpful. The bottom part of the stairs has a massive clearance. They also cut a massive tree from the road that was scraping the tall cars. We’ve had a good response from them.”
“It’s just a matter of departmental communication. The municipality is working for us but sometimes you have to dip,” she added.
Eighty-year-old Jean was also part of the team of volunteers and was delighted to have the clearance done.
“I normally catch a bus home but half the time the buses don’t turn up, if I haven’t got my cart then I can just come up the stairs.”
“Coming down I’m alright, I can go slowly but going up, I need to pull myself up. I have not got the strength in my legs anymore to do what I used to do,” she said.
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