While motorists dodge potholes and risk bursting their tyres when driving along Crystal Road in Bramley, the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) cannot commit to a repair date.

Ward 81 community leader Theo Lengwati said on August 28 that he had been reporting the pothole-filled road since January, but received no joy until a recent response by JRA stated that the delay was due to a lack of asphalt.

Read more: State of road excavations in Glenhazel disappoints Ward 72 councillor

JRA acting head of regional operations Mpho Maruping confirmed that the agency was aware of the poor state of the road.

“Inspections have already been conducted, and the required repairs have been scheduled,” Maruping said. “We were experiencing operational challenges that prevented us from confirming a commencement date at this stage.”

He noted that although the challenges have been resolved, the JRA was currently not in a position to commit to a date, but would communicate soon.

In a video recently shared on social media, Transport MMC Kenny Kunene visited the asphalt plant to oversee progress as the new contractor worked to install infrastructure and restart operations.

Also read: Frere Road adds to growing number of excavations in the city

“The asphalt plant experienced delays after the previous contractor left the site with infrastructure and equipment,” Kunene said. “Importantly, the delay was not due to a lack of payment or funding, but was as a result of an administrative process that needed to be resolved before the new contractor could take over.”

Reporting potholes

Community members are urged to report potholes to the Johannesburg Roads Agency by:

Email: hotline@jra.org.za

Calling: 0860 562 874

Using the @MyJra X handle.

Also read: Melrose North’s sunken road reinstatement to take 3 weeks

Active reporting is crucial to fix road defects, which can be further supported by reporting through the Pothole Patrol application, which can be downloaded on the Play Store or the App Store.

Community members are urged to request a reference number for tracking purposes and, if the JRA does not respond within 30 days, report the reference number to their local ward councillor for escalation.

Claiming damages to your car

Members of the public can claim for damages to their car caused by potholes in Johannesburg by accessing the JRA website to download a copy of a claims form.

Accurate location details, such as the street name and intersection, along with photos, are highly recommended when reporting potholes.

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