Ward 93 Councillor Vino Reddy drives petitions against Eskom’s terrific increase and JW’s dry taps
Residents have also raised concerns during the meet-and-greet with councillor Vino Reddy, about the issue of incorrectly placed road signs causing confusion particularly for cyclists in some areas in Fourways.
It’s a familiar tune that some of the Fourways residents have been singing for weeks. The lyrics remain the same: Faulty traffic lights, constant water leaks due to aging infrastructure, and an unreliable electricity supply that comes with a hefty price tag.
The latest refrain? Soaring electricity price hikes, courtesy of Eskom. During a meet and greet hosted by Ward 93 councillor Vino Reddy at Kingfisher Park in Fourways on February 8, residents gathered to air their grievances and sign petitions, with the rising cost of electricity topping the list of complaints, especially since the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s (NERSA) approval of electricity tariff increases.
“People cannot afford these hikes, and it is not fair. That’s why there is a petition against them.”
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Another issue that Reddy said they are fighting for is the unreliable water supply.
He said there is a petition called: No dry taps, which many residents have signed.
“We are plagued with pipe bursts. In the last three weeks, we have gone over ten days with interrupted water supply, and multiple days where water tankers were supposed to be available to residents because of aging infrastructure.
“We have these old cement pipes that are over 50 years old, which keep on bursting What Johannesburg Water (JW) does, is that they repair a length of pipe, just over one metre and a bit, and then join the new PVC to the cement pipe. They put clasps on the joint, which become weak spots especially when the earth is loose and there is nothing to hold it together. Then the pipe bursts again.”
Also read: Ward 94 Cllr is still driving Fourways traffic lights issues
Reddy said this is something that he is trying to address, alongside the residents. to put pressure on the city to replace the old cement pipes.
“They have been replaced in some parts of Fourways, but not all. Another issue that the residents raised is the traffic lights.
One thing that has also come through, is something I have been advocating for so long, and that is the traffic lights being tampered with, because as soon as they get repaired, they only work for a few hours, or a couple of days.
“The problem is that we have created a micro-economy of informal traffic directors who rely on directing traffic for a source of income. It is one that they can’t do without because they have been doing it for the last few years and it has been allowed, as such, we have asked our residents not to tip them because it encourages vandalism of traffic lights.”
One of the residents, Sheena McGeoch, said she was satisfied with the petitions, before raising an issue about other road signs, that have been placed incorrectly, posing risks to cycling enthusiasts.
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