Boksburg Advertiser Asks … Where does council infrastructure go to die?
Council itself is contributing to the littering of our city with its neglected, broken and obsolete infrastructure.
Why is our city littered with broken council infrastructure simply left to rot and deface our environment? Vandalised, broken, obsolete streetlight poles are an example of this. Where does infrastructure like this go to die and who is responsible for getting rid it?
Council itself is contributing to the “litter” across Boksburg by not removing broken, rusted and damaged infrastructure, like streetlight poles, suburb and other signage, road signs and road barriers.
While there are dozens of examples of this just about anywhere you look in Boksburg, one particularly pitiful example of lack of maintenance, auditing of infrastructure and showing an environmental conscience is Brentwood Park Road where every second streetlight is either damaged, non-existent, vandalised or lying in the veld.
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City of Ekurhuleni spokesperson Zweli Dlamini explained that the Energy Department is responsible for the installation and maintenance of streetlights.
“Broken and fallen poles are frequently a result of incidents that happen after hours or over weekends when vehicles drive into infrastructure.
“There is also deliberate vandalism of certain sections of streetlights. The streetlight section is responsible for the removal of the damaged poles to the respective depot storage yards. Once these poles are collected, they will have to be sold in a public auction.
“Metal is frequently sold on the auctions, but bidders do not have an appetite for concrete or old fibreglass boxes. Often poles are left out and the depots must arrange with waste for disposal.
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“The Energy Department will investigate the Brentwood Park Road situation and will remove the broken poles if found.
“We will also scout for fallen or broken poles across the city so that they can be removed.
“Plans are also in place to replace some of the poles and restore streetlight networks during the financial year.”
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