Geduld businessman Bob Gillies’ proposed idea to build a storeroom and shaded carports for his staff has been declined by the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport (Gautrans) head office.
The reason given to him was that his property falls within the planned Gautrans K132 provincial road boundary and in a road reserve.
“I was, however, given permission to build a residence on the property but not a store,” he says.
Gillies is currently demolishing the existing houses on the property and will replace them with a smaller house.
K132 is planned to cross Paul Kruger Highway from Hospital Road, New State Areas to come through one side of Fifth Avenue, crossing the railway line running parallel with Welgedacht Road, towards the police station.
Gillies is not sure with which other road the provincial road will be linked.
When he bought the property behind his existing business in Fourth Avenue, he never thought his plans would face the problem of standing in the way of the K132.
“Plans for this provincial road started 35 years ago, have come to nothing,” he says.
According to Gillies there are very few business and property owners who are aware of the K132, but they will all be sitting with the same problem he has, as they cannot develop their properties due to the planned road.
He says he doesn’t need any plans to erect these carports and can easily remove them should the road construction start, but Gautrans still forbids this.
However, Gillies is doubtful whether this road will ever be built and claims Gautrans can’t say when construction will start.
Looking at the planned layout of the proposed road and how it will intersect with the current road infrastructure is another concern he has.
“It just doesn’t make any sense.
“What do they do at the railway line area?
“The ground over it is old mining ground and susceptible to subsidence, not at all feasible to build on,” says Gillies.
He feels it will be a waste of money, as all the properties and businesses in its way will have to be demolished to accommodate the K132.
“Business owners and residents of the one side of Fifth Avenue should be cautioned when wanting to change the structure of their properties.
“They should stay within regulations or they will fall foul of this K132 plan,” he says.
According to Gillies, in 1980 he attended a meeting with council where it was mentioned there were also plans to change Fourth and Fifth avenues in Geduld into one-way streets.
“Since the N17 highway came into being, the traffic on Fourth Avenue had reduced considerably and the road is never over-congested so much that we would need to divert some of the traffic to an alternative route,” he says.
He questions the logic behind this, as well as the planned road.
“It is now 35 years later and my question remains: What is the purpose of all this?” says Gillies.
The metro didn’t respond to any of the questions sent to them two weeks ago.
Metro spokesperson Themba Gadebe says they have a problem with their roads department at the moment and refers to them as “a special case”.
“We are currently in talks with the MMC councillor Robert Mashego to try and resolve the problems,” he says.
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