Inconvenience of BRT construction will pass

I would like comment on the points mentioned by Councillor Dana Wannenburg (Ward 2) which were published last week. Firstly I would like to ask people to read my response with a positive and open mind and to think further than the discomfort they experience whilst sitting in their air-conditioned cars, listening to the radio.

There are municipalities all over the country which are not maintaining neither upgrading infrastructure in their towns and cities. Our municipality is spending millions of Rands on BRT infrastructure for the people of the beautiful Jacaranda City.

This project brings employment to the community and when completed, there will be upgraded roads, clear road markings, robots and street lights in working order and what’s more, the convenience of an effective bus service from Hatfield to Soshanguve.

I have been speaking to many individuals from very low income groups, ladies who have to spend R60 per day just to get to work and back home. Take 20 working days and multiply that by R60 per day – you will see that R1200 of their salary, goes towards taxi fees. These are people who earn about R2000 per month. They have to live on R800 per month. Also keep in mind, that when fuel prices goes up, they have to pay even more, but their salaries don’t go up. They don’t complain, they are looking forward to BRT services.

Mr Wannenburg is adamant that accidents which occur during weekends on Paul Kruger Street and Lavender Road is due to the road works. I am sure there has been many accidents there before construction and also 100% sure that there will be many accidents and sadly, deaths thereafter. Everybody knows that the obvious thing to do near a construction site, is to slow down and always expect the unexpected.

The traffic lights which are out of order is no excuse for accidents. Everyone in the world who has a valid driver’s licence knows to treat it as a stop street. There are just as many accidents all over the country at intersections where the

traffic lights are in working order. Accidents happen because people choose to ignore red lights.

Cable theft cannot be blamed on the contractors and the construction works. Those items are very expensive and are budgeted and paid for. There is a huge financial implication and loss when this happens. All sorts of cables get stolen on a daily basis, everywhere in the country, Telkom cables and even the Gautrain’s cables. People even steal the printed circuit boards which control traffic lights. That’s not because of contractors.

There are many dark and dangerous roads and streets all over the country. There are not streetlights along each and every road, highway, subway, avenue and driveway. It is a known fact that to be living in South Africa nowadays, it is the responsibility of each individual to ensure their own safety.

Just like roads and city infrastructure: after a few years it needs maintenance again and there will be some pain involved again. That’s life. Live it. Deal with it. We all live behind security gates, we all have electric fencing. We all know not to go to ATMs at night, we all know to lock our cars, we all know to put our handbags in the boot. Smash and Grabs happen because of handbags on the back seats, not because of construction works.

I would like to leave the readers and Mr Wannenburg with one last thought: instead of becoming blamers, complainers, finger pointers – turn all that negative energy into positive and make a positive contribution instead.

We all know the problems– what we are prepared to do about it – that’s what counts. The inconvenience of the BRT Construction too, will pass – and that’s a fact.