Potholes in Germiston become a concern among locals
He said that the driver was a woman who appeared disoriented in a remote area.
Motorists are concerned about the state of the city’s roads because of the unpredictable rainy weather conditions.
The recent rains caused the roads to become more uneven and to develop more and larger potholes.
Concerns were voiced by residents and drivers regarding the pothole at May Deep Road.
The pothole is large enough to fit an average-sized man.
GCN journalists visited the location when it was dry and when it was raining. After the rain, water filled the pothole making it invisible to cars.
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According to taxi driver Siyabonga Khumalo, when it rains, navigating past the pothole is a challenge. He travels between Germiston taxi rank and Thembisa.
“It takes days for the water that fills the pothole to disappear. Because of the water level, small vehicles are unable to pass and must make a U-turn, which creates traffic issues.
“Occasionally, cars hit potholes because they cannot see them when approaching while driving.
“I once changed my front tyre right after driving into the pothole. I was forced to stop and replace it with passengers offering assistance,” said Khumalo.
Irvin Maseko, another local driver from Elandsfontein Taxi Rank to Germiston Taxi Rank, said he recently assisted a motorist to change a tyre after it was damaged by the pothole.
He said that the driver was a woman who appeared disoriented in a remote area.
“Being stuck there is dangerous for someone who doesn’t know the area. The city hasn’t taken any actions to fix this road.
“The residents barricaded the pothole with bricks but they disappeared into the water. Using this intersection after it has rained is dangerous,” said Maseko.
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The road is used as a shortcut by a local recycler Busang Makwetla from the Delport informal settlement.
He said when its rainy days they are compelled to take longer routes with their trolleys.
“Cars driving by often hit the water collected in these potholes, causing it to splash on school learners on the sidewalks on their way to school,” said Makwetla.
“The drainage system there is always clogged, and the area just gets muddy. There is water that has become stuck in the area between Meyer Street and Johann Rissik Road. That generates traffic, particularly in the evening rush hours,” said Makwetla.
The GCN sent a media inquiry to the City of Ekurhuleni on November 16 requesting comment by November 17 at 12:00. By the time of going to print no comment had been received.
