Road an accident waiting to happen

Residents of Nel Street in Lilyvale say their road is an accident waiting to happen, yet the metro is ignoring their pleas for help.

According to Mbulelo Madiba, a resident in the area, the road has been washed away by the recent rain; however, the situation has been ongoing for several years.

“The road was tarred, but due to lack of maintenance, any evidence of it has been washed away or merely disintegrated,” she said.

“At least once a week trucks get stuck in deep chasms and need to be removed by a tow truck. As residents, we have had to make use of various implements to build make-shift bridges to access our properties.

“This is an accident waiting to happen, especially to anyone that is not familiar with the area.”

Residents noted due to severe erosion, water pipes feeding the area are exposed and at risk of becoming damaged, which could lead to leaks and water interruptions should the matter not be addressed urgently.

“Plot dwellers are resourceful; however, the state of the road needs to be tended to,” she said.

Pieter Henning, ward councillor in the area, said he is aware of the seriousness of the matter and that he has been in talks with the council to have the road repaired.

“The biggest problem is that water from nearby mielie fields runs into the road, especially during heavy bouts of rain,” he said.

“Nel Street and other roads in the agricultural holdings have huge problems with regards to road and drainage infrastructure. We hope the budget for the new financial year will make provision for these repairs.”

The metro was contacted for comment but none had been received at the time of going to print.

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