According to resident, Elspeth Kempe, neighbours of hers were told by City Power officials that there was a fault in the permanent cables running underneath the street surface outside their home. This after residents of the street had been without power for five days in September.
They were told that the road would have to be dug up for a new cable to be laid and a temporary connection would be set up in the interim.
“The connection is still there, six weeks later, hanging very low across Abercorn Avenue,” said Kempe.
She added that her neighbour had phoned City Power on 1 October to ask when it would be removed. She received a reference number and was told that “it would happen shortly”, but thus far nothing had been done.
Kempe then reported the matter again and also received a reference number. She was given the following feedback from the CityPower.mobi site: ‘Dangerous situation (Low temporary cable across road between 24 and 29 Abercorn Av. Dangerous to traffic.). Resolved. Feedback: customer complaining about temporary power and the circuit hanging low.’
“It hasn’t been resolved at all, as nothing has happened. I feel there is no point in reporting it again as it is likely to ‘be resolved’ in the same manner,” continued Kempe, who added that the cable was only 3m above the road on the westbound side of the street.
The cable can be touched by pedestrians walking along the pavement, and Kempe claimed that it was completely invisible to vehicles coming up Abercorn Avenue from Jan Smuts Avenue in the westbound lane.
“Last week a car transporter came up the road. Fortunately, my husband was in the street and managed to stop it. The cars it was carrying would have hooked the cable and brought it down.”
Numerous attempts were made to contact City Power spokespeople for comment.
Details: www.citypower.co.za
