The Ekurhuleni Metro has finally, after pressure from the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) and numerous complaints from residents, begun repairing the pothole-riddled access routes in Brakpan, Benoni and Springs.
Repairs to Main Reef and Hospital Road in Benoni started on Wednesday.
For months, the Freedom Front Plus and local residents demanded that something must be done about the appalling condition of Main Reef Road, Hospital Road and the entrance road of the Rock Raceway in Brakpan, as large sections of these roads had become almost inaccessible.
Despite numerous complaints, the Metro’s complaint logging system was frequently down while no repairs were done. This caused frustration and raised questions about service delivery.
In the latest council meeting, the Freedom Front Plus confronted the Mayoral Committee Member for Roads and Transport, Lindiwe Mnguni, about the relevant maintenance plans and insisted on reasons for why service requests are closed even though the problems have not been resolved.
Mnguni confirmed that only temporary measures, including warning signs and limited pothole repairs, are currently in place. She indicated that repair work is carried out by means of the pipe-jacking method, among other things, and that groundwater investigations are being conducted.
Pipe-jacking is a method of repairing or replacing underground infrastructure without excavating the entire road surface. Although it limits surface excavations, it could cause the road to become structurally compromised, necessitating additional repair work.
Comprehensive road rehabilitation will only be done once the underground work has been completed, and timelines have now been pushed to the 2027/28 financial year.
The Mayoral Committee Member also acknowledged shortcomings in the service request system, and indicated that staff retraining and improved processes are in the pipeline.
This method of repairing potholes is not a permanent solution. The entire road surface needs to be redone to prevent new potholes from forming again soon.
The Freedom Front Plus will keep pressuring the Department and demand full accountability for the commitments made in the council meeting.
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