By the time speed humps are erected on Koedoe Avenue in Birchleigh, residents would have waited more than two years since it had been approved.
But still there is no guarantee this would happen, as the metro’s budget for speed humps seems to be constantly in the red.
According to frustrated Birchleigh residents, an application for this ‘race track’ in their suburb was made in March 2017.
Themba Gadebe, spokesperson for the City of Ekurhuleni, confirmed three humps had been approved in April 2017 – near the stop street on Olienhout Street, near the power box on Koedoe Street and one just before Kwagga Street.
As there was no sufficient funding left in the 2017/18 financial year at the time. The implementation was rolled over to the current financial year, 2018/19.
“However, the implementation again remains subject to availability of funding, as all speed humps compete for the available funding and the highest point scoring applications receive preference,” added Gadebe.
He said the department was currently in the process of obtaining bids for the implementation of speed humps. It is expected that contractors will be appointed (subject to receiving responsive bids), by the fourth quarter of the financial year, which is from April to June 2019.
According to Gadebe one speed hump costs about R20 000 and the metro’s annual budget allocation is in the region of R1.5-million.
“Based on the growing backlog on the implementation of warranted traffic calming measures, the City will seek that additional funding is voted in future budgets votes,” he said.
Ward councillor Gideon van Zyl said he knew about speeds humps approved as long as four years ago which still had not been erected.
“Why do we have to put up with hooligans drag racing down our streets, people skipping stop streets. It is not safe for us, our children or anyone else passing through here. We cannot walk up our street,” one resident said.
