Where’s the roadmap?

According to Buffalo City Metro, “We Are Making Inroads in Fixing Potholes” (DD April 10). Ignoring the contrary evidence, this assurance implies that BCM is implementing a series of synchronised plans.

It follows, then — one would think — that to prevent the problem worsening, BCM must have a plan to clear, upgrade and maintain every gutter and drain in the metro so that stormwater in future runs off instead of accumulating.

Part of this endeavour would then surely be BCM’S plan to keep all gutters free of weeds, leaves and litter.

As our failing water and sewerage systems add to the problem, BCM’S claim suggests the metro is effectively implementing a plan to restore these systems. Will the metro please publish these plans? The metro’s roads vary from those needing (relatively) small repairs to those which have outlived their intended lifespan and need to be completely rebuilt.

Will the metro please publish its comprehensive report on which roads fall into which category and the plan to address the problem? Then, all this costs money.

Will the metro please publish its plan to correct its abysmal billing system and collect all legitimate debts, so that it has some revenue to implement the plan?

Amnesty to non-payers does not count. They merely roll their debts over to the next amnesty.

As the expanded public works programme (sponsored by our taxes) and civic organisations (sponsored by our donations) are doing the work BCM should be doing, I suggest millions of rands can be recovered if the relevant municipal departments are immediately retrenched.

It is manifestly unjust that honest citizens are paying BCM for work that EPW and civics are doing.

Let’s see the roadmap, BCM.