Holland Avenue residents concerned as grass takes root in pothole

Residents of Holland Avenue in Blairgowrie expressed growing concerns over the deteriorating condition of the road, with several potholes causing inconvenience and posing safety hazards to motorists and pedestrians alike.

One particularly large pothole on Holland Avenue has gained attention, with grass now growing in it, indicating that it has been left unattended for a long time. Another nearby pothole has been poorly filled, increasing the risk of accidents.

Resident Clifford Scholtz voiced his concern and said, “This pothole has been open for quite a while. There is another one down the road. That was the first one that opened up last year when we had the big rains, and this was a smaller hole. As they closed that one, this one opened up and has been open for a long while.”

In response to enquiries about the potholes, councillor Lucinda Haman explained, “There are over 178 reinstatements and hundreds of potholes that JRA need to attend to. My inspector has sent through lists to JRA. I cannot speak to these particular potholes. Nobody from Holland [Avenue] has reported this to me. There is a process residents need to follow.
“Entities need to be held accountable and do their work. As a councillor, I am here to assist residents where entities fail to deliver. This can only be done if the resident has reported the matter, got a reference number and completed a template for escalation. There is no jumping the queue.”

She urged residents to report potholes and reinstatements to JRA at hotline@jra.org.za and copy her at ward102joburg@gmail.com She emphasised the importance of obtaining a reference number and escalating the issue if the Service Level Agreement expires.

Questions were sent to the Johannesburg Roads Agency regarding the pothole maintenance on Holland Avenue. Their comments will be published when they are made available.

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