Open trenches pose safety hazard
NORTHCLIFF- Northcliff residents say they do not know what to do because the city officially will not help them.
Shane Lukman and numerous Northcliff residents have had enough of the open trenches on a pavement on Gordon Road, which pose a safety hazard to the community.
“The trenches were dug and left open since 23 July. This has caused a major inconvenience and danger to many pedestrians …especially school children and commuters .They are forced to walk on the very busy Gordon Road,” complains Shane Lukman, who is representing Northcliff residents in the bid to resolve this matter.
According to Lukman, residents lives are endangered.
“This has almost cost the life of two kids. Also a child and a dog fell into the deep trench. The resident’s car almost went into the hole –all because the front of the driveway has a deep hole. No one seems to know when the holes will be closed. City Power laid cables and Joburg Water dug up an area. The matter was reported to City Power, Joburg Water and Joburg Roads Agency. We are taxpayers and this kind of service is totally unacceptable,” adds Lukman.
Ward 86 councillor Steve Kotzé is aware of the problem and says he has raised the matter with Joburg Roads Agency (JRA) on numerous occasions.
According to Kotzé, private contractors are awarded city tenders to lay piping in pavements; fibre optic cables are being laid by MTN and competitors in the broadband market will follow later and do similar digging on pavements.
“It is clear that many contractors are not abiding by City rules and policies. It is also clear that JRA are not supervising contractors,” he says,
Kotzé also states that the JRA are the custodians of city pavements. City regulations and bylaws stipulate protocols that govern any activity that impacts on pavements.
“My appeals for enforcement of the City’s regulations and bylaws have fallen on deaf ears. At best, the contractor would tidy up messy work but would lapse back to sloppiness within a week or two thereafter,” adds Kotzé.
Community liaison officers (CLOs) are meant to be appointed in each contracting instance, to deal with issues such as those raised by residents. A CLO is an intermediary between the public and a contractor and is well placed to deal with these and other issues.
According to Kotzé, however, the process of CLO appointments is another procedure not happening as it ought to.
“I have also raised this matter with relevant departments without meaningful response,” he says.
JRA was unavailable for comment by the time of publishing.
Details: Steve Kotzé 083 654 654
