As mounting anger and frustration by residents over the declining state of the Park roads continue to plague our suburb, the Craigpark Residents’ Association (“CRA”) have kick-started a road repair project. The vision is to have its streets pothole-free by the end of 2023.
CRA committee member and project champion Joss du Trevou says, “We undertook an analysis of the number of calls we logged with the City of Johannesburg’s Roads Authority and Joburg Water on behalf of residents. Not one of the 12 major potholes nor reinstatements, which were repeatedly reported over several years, and escalated to the Mayorial Committee (“MMC”) in September 2022, have been attended to. We went so far as to log a complaint with the City of Johannesburg Ombudsman, to no avail. Our next step was to log the potholes with Discovery and Dial Direct’s Pothole Patrol, who attended to a handful of the potholes in our area. This still leaves us with an ever growing list of unresolved potholes and road repairs which we find dangerous and a hazard to our residents, motorists and pedestrians alike”.
With encouragement from the residents, the CRA decided to run a this project privately to fix the potholes in the neighbourhood. Residents were asked if they would like to contribute to the project. The CRA has been overwhelmed by the support we have received. To date, we have raised well in excess of R30,000 in donations, and fixed over 20 potholes in just over a month. Craighall Park resident, Bruce Bowden, manages the repair team, which includes his sons Caleb and Benjamin. All donations are used to fund the purchase of materials, and create employment for Vusi and Gideonne, previously unemployed.
CRA Chair Markus Borner added, “We have been forced to take matters into our own hands, but we continue to be open, willing and eager to work with the City to formalise a more long-term, sustainable solution to our ever-growing pothole and infrastructure problem. The CRA believes we have an opportunity, through active citizenry and joint collaboration with JRA to not only improve the state of our suburb, but to create employment opportunities too”
