The taxi rank construction project on the corner of Pretoria and Fountain Street is yet to be completed.
The project missed another deadline on 13 December, and Mogale City Local Municipality (MCLM) explained that delays were mainly caused by rainfall. A new deadline has been set for April, nearly 24 months after construction started.
Read more here:
https://www.citizen.co.za/krugersdorp-news/399890/weekend-taxi-rank-construction-deadline-missed-again/
When the project started, plans were put in place to construct covered parking for hundreds of taxis, permanent and lockable food and generals stalls, benches and ablution blocks.
In comparison, it took two years or less to build the Eiffel Tower in Paris in 1887; the Chrysler Building in 1928 and the Empire State Building in 1929 in New York; and the 88 On Field skyscraper in Durban in 1985, to name but a few. As things stand, it has taken three times longer to build a taxi rank compared to the time it took to build the iconic Space Needle observation building in Seattle on the West Coast of the United States.
MCLM’s communications department noted that, “There were also delays in the process of finalising the shop detailing of the top structure roofing, which is anchored on the foundations by steel columns. This affected successful procurement of the steel structure and fabrication. Some design information was missing in order to begin the shop detailing process, and it affected all the stalls on site.”
Also Read:
https://www.citizen.co.za/krugersdorp-news/384101/road-closure-in-krugersdorp-north-while-taxi-rank-is-upgraded/
They further said that the engineer on the project has submitted revised drawings for the stalls on 11 September 2019, and shop detailing is currently under way to create a finalised and workable design.
MCLM also confirmed that 78 per cent of the construction has been finished. Back in September, 67,4 per cent of the construction had reportedly been finished. So the question is, if it took four months to complete an additional 10 per cent of the work, will they be able to finish the remaining 22 per cent of the work in three months or less, as promised?
MCLM said the project has not gone over budget, and no additional funds will be afforded the project in the future.
When asked whether the work site is understaffed, as it seems as though very few workers are on the site on a regular basis, the response was clear: “The work site is sufficiently staffed”. When asked about the official re-opening Pretoria and Fountain Streets, which were also under construction for a time, the MCLM noted, “These streets were reopened in October 2019”. The roads, in fact, were opened at the end of November.
The municipality lastly said, “We acknowledge that the project has taken longer than anticipated. There were delays experienced due to various reasons. The municipality wishes to assure the public that we want to deliver a quality product, which will be embraced by all users. Furthermore, we apologise for all inconveniences caused to the taxi industry, commuters, SMMEs, surrounding businesses and the community in general.”
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