Vehicle smashes mini-substation leaving Bryanston residents in dark

Residents near the intersection of Devonshire Avenue and Bryanston Drive in Bryanston have been without power since August 22, after a vehicle crashed into a mini-substation.

During Ward 103 councillor Lynda Shackleford’s site visit with the Sandton Chronicle on August 25, she said the incident happened at around 07:30 on August 22, leaving the area without power for four days.

“The assessors for the City Power insurance were out here on the afternoon of August 24 and we are still waiting, as per City Power’s communication on August 25, on what the next steps are,” Shackleford said.

Read more: Emergency shutdown of Bryanston substation – Eskom

“This is not boding well for the residents in the area as for how long this power outage is going to take. City Power have tried to do a temporary fix and try to get as many people back to having power, but those who are without are now without until this is repaired, according to City Power.”

She added that her biggest concern in Ward 103 is speeding of cars and repeated damage to municipal infrastructure in the area.

“My biggest concern in the ward is there is a lot of speeding vehicles. I am not saying this is what caused this accident, but this mini-substation has been hit twice by cars at this intersection.”

“We have had numerous other infrastructure within the ward in the last month that has been hit by speeding vehicles, and unfortunately, all of this causes a problem with infrastructure for the City of Johannesburg.”

Residents face lengthy delay for replacement unit

City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena confirmed that a case was opened at the Sandton SAPS on August 22 and the power utility is working around the clock to restore electricity supply to customers affected by an outage following a vehicle collision.

Mangena confirmed that City Power technicians were dispatched on August 24 to assess the damage and determine the extent of the impact.

“The assessment found that approximately 90% of the mini-substation’s components were damaged beyond repair during the collision. The unit therefore needs to be completely replaced before electricity supply can be fully restored to the affected customers,” he said.

“City Power is currently finalising the insurance claim process, which will enable the procurement of a replacement mini-substation. Once the replacement unit has been delivered to site, the appointed contractor will commence with the replacement and installation process to restore electricity supply to the affected customers.”

Mangena added that at this stage, the power utility is unable to provide an estimated time of restoration and further updates will be communicated to affected customers as efforts to restore the power supply progress.

“The outstanding process is the finalisation of the insurance claim, after which City Power will procure a replacement unit and arrange for its delivery to site.”

“At present, no temporary measures are in place to restore electricity to the remaining affected customers. Customers who remain without power will continue to be affected until the damaged mini-substation has been replaced and energised.”

Responding to whether additional measures could be introduced to protect the City’s electricity infrastructure following the repeated collision, Mangena said the power utility is considering additional protective measures to safeguard its infrastructure against future vehicle-related damage.

Also read: Substation fire forces road closure in Marlboro

“However, such measures cannot guarantee that electricity infrastructure will not be damaged in future incidents.”

He urged motorists to drive responsibly and obey traffic regulations when travelling through residential neighbourhoods to help prevent accidents and damage to critical electricity infrastructure.

Metro police pledge increased patrols

The Sandton Chronicle previously reached out to Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson Xolani Fihla regarding street racing in residential areas in Bryanston.

Fihla said the JMPD will increase patrols in the Bryanston area to discourage reckless driving and racing.

“The JMPD carries out regular patrols and specialised operations across the City of Johannesburg to combat illegal street racing. Our High-Speed Unit and regional teams are deployed to known hotspots to enforce the National Road Traffic Act. Following this report, we will initiate an immediate investigation into these activities.”

A follow-up media enquiry was sent to the JMPD requesting updates on operations targeting street racing and speeding around Bryanston. Updates will be provided once they become available.

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