If Oom Paul Kruger’s staunch face could have smiled, it certainly would have on Tuesday when plans on the revamping of Church Square were revealed.
Taking into account the historical value of the square, the metro will spare no cost to make Church Square a rejuvenated landmark in Pretoria.
At a community liaison meeting held at the old Raadsaal, it was revealed that roads around the square would be exclusively for the use of the A Re Yeng bus service and service vehicles. The now defunct south wall’s fountain head would be restored and there would be trees planted around the square.
This would be a public-friendly spot with pedestrian areas around the square. The tar walkways in the square would be replaced with slate salvaged from other areas in the city. Numerous street benches would be provided.
The massive statue of Paul Kruger and his burgers in the centre of the square would remain untouched. Hawkers would not be allowed to conduct business on the square.
Lloyd Moti , spokesperson for the Rapid Transit Project, remarked on the current discomfort associated with the construction of the A Re Yeng project that the metro was aware of the resultant traffic problems.
“We are putting in some remedial measures. The congestion will still occur for a while and it is unavoidable. Your continued patience would be much appreciated. While congestion during the construction of the A Re Yeng is frustrating, this is relatively short-lived compared to the benefits in decades to come.”
Touching on the feeder system to the A Re Yeng busses, he said the planning provided for the trunk line buses to run every seven minutes.
Several trunk lines from Unisa and the central business district, the Steve Biko Hospital, and TUT would converge to feed the A Re Yeng with commuters. These buses would have dedicated bus lanes indicated by granite cobles. Steel bollards would separate these lanes from demarcated parking bays.
Several public meetings have been planned to report on the construction and beatification of Church Square. The next meeting will report on the progress made and will be held on at the Nederduitse Hervormde Kerk at Wonderboompoort in Elloffsdal on 30 September on 18:00.
For more updates and news, like Rekord on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
