Cosmo City still waiting for promised road repairs
The repair of Central African Republic Road was supposed to bring joy to the Cosmo City community, however, that is not the case, as JRA keeps delaying.
Residents of Cosmo City got a ray of happiness when they discovered that Central African Republic Road, the road that posed a danger for them, would finally be fixed by Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) by the end of June.
However, when Randburg Sun revisited the site on July 9, the road showed no visible repairs, despite what JRA had previously stated. Ward councillor Lyborn Ndou said that JRA keeps giving them false hope about Central African Republic Road. It has reached a point where community members no longer believe anything he says, because every meeting they hold, JRA is at the top of their list, yet no progress is ever made.
The damage to the road has caused chaos for everyone, with taxis refusing to even drive on it. Not only do residents have to walk farther to get transportation, local business owners are also suffering. The owner of the local laundromat said that everyone with a business on that street is experiencing a loss. “No one wants to drive on this road. We have complained to our councillor, and he also says that he has notified JRA about the issue, but we see no improvements.”
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When approached, JRA noted that Cosmo City road repairs are ongoing. Their biggest issue in the area is the greywater and sewage that runs, unchecked, onto road surfaces. This poses a challenge for them, considering roads must be completely dry in order to ensure quality, long-lasting repairs. They did say, however that they had completed maintenance work in some parts of Cosmo City in the last financial year, ending in June.
Regional operations manager Khayalethu Gqibitole said: “There is currently no project in Cosmo City. Only routine road maintenance, both proactive and reactive, which is informed by calls logged by the community and inspections undertaken by JRA depot inspectors. Maintenance is ongoing with no set timeframe, however, the repair of Central African Republic Road will be completed before the end of July.”
The councillor noted that he hopes JRA will stick to their word, this time, and do right by them as a community.
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