Residents of Mndeni, in Soweto will now drive easier and safer on municipal roads thanks to the repair of structural defects at several main intersections, including Mandela road and Zamukulungisa Street this week.
The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) in Region D worked tirelessly in the week to eradicate the backlog of service requests for the patching of over 151 potholes, which had made driving in the area precarious.
Several roads around the City suffered significant damage, while some were eroded due to torrential rains that battered parts of Joburg during the summer season. The backlog of potholes is also a result of problems caused by migration, climate change and the age of the City.
This week's service delivery blitz is part of a city-wide mayoral campaign aimed at eliminating potholes through deploying the JRA's regional task teams to repair all damaged roads across Johannesburg; it is called #WagingWarOnPotholes.
Dobsonville JRA Depot Manager Emanuel Ngobeni said the work of patching potholes in Region D would be carried out weekly.
“This weekly programme aims to eradicate the high number of service requests for patching potholes in the City, with a total of 60 days given to complete the campaign," Ngobeni explains.
He says the JRA has increased the frequency of inspections on City roads to improve mobility and access. The JRA is a municipal entity responsible for the design, maintenance, and the repair of Joburg's road network and stormwater infrastructure, including bridges and culverts, traffic lights and signage.
“As a depot we are not just tackling the issue of potholes, but are also unblocking stormwater drains, repairing traffic signals, removing weeds on paved walkways and culverts and renewing road markings," Ngobeni adds.
He emphasises that the inspection and maintenance of City roads was treated as a high priority due to safety risks associated with damaged infrastructure, which limits a road's optimal function and often results in single-vehicle accidents and damages.
Ephraim Mailula a local resident of Mndeni said the blockage of some of the stormwater drains in the area had become a health hazard. He added that the abhorrent odour smelt by residents as well as the insects flying into their homes were a serious concern.
“I am happy to see some of the City's entities here, including the JRA," he said.
Mailula was however unhappy with the turnaround time to fix damaged roads, adding that incidents were reported regularly, but residents still struggled with positive feedback.
He conceded though that improvements had been made since the Executive Mayor launched the #WagingWarOnPotholes campaign, which has resulted in JRA teams reducing the backlog of service requests.
“Thanks to efforts of the Executive Mayor, potholes in our neighbourhood are now being eradicated. We look forward to a good relationship with the City's current leadership," Mailula explained.
Ngobeni assured Mailula that the City would remain on high-alert when dealing with new requests and continue working hard to repair the structural integrity of City roads, to ensure the safety of all road users.
Written by Neo Mohlala
