Potting along not good enough
Motorists going potty about sabunga used to fill up holes
MOTORISTS are not happy with a temporary solution used by the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality to fill potholes in the streets and surrounding roads.
Sabunga – a type of gravel – is being used to fill gaping potholes. The measure is at best temporary as the soil is soon washed away or eroded by passing vehicles.
Uncedo Taxi Association member Zoliswa Manyathela of Ezibeleni said the potholes were better off being left open.
“When there is no sabunga, the potholes are visible for us to avoid so we can avoid damage to our vehicles. When there is sabunga (inside the potholes), I can feel the impact on the tyres, even when it rains.”
This was affecting the value of her vehicle, which was only two years old.
She said in addition the potholes filled with tar created an uneven surface.
She said this was due to the contractor “overpouring” the mixture and that contractors should look at how potholes were filled on regional and national roads.
Mlungisi taxi driver Loyiso Tungwana said almost all the potholes in Mlungisi were filled with sabunga.
“Last week, I had to replace two front wheel bearings which cost R240 each. This is the amount of money we make per day. This does not even include the tyres which, under normal circumstances, are meant to last a year before replacement. Due to bad road conditions we have to replace these twice a year.”
He said the road to Nomzamo which had been under repair for nearly two years was still closed, preventing taxis from accessing their driving routes.
“There is not even a bypass road on the side for us to use in the meantime.”
Tungwana said the Nomzamo road between Khayelitsha and Railway informal settlement in Mlungisi, which had been affected by the heavy rain in recent months had not been graded.
“The road is bumpy and full of potholes and it is really difficult to use.”
South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) communications general manager Vusi Mona said potholes needed swift intervention for safety reasons.
It was best to use a material called cold mix asphalt which was effective but had a limited life of about three months, before it should be replaced by hot asphalt for permanent repair.
Enoch Mgijima Municipality communications manager Fundile Feketshane said the municipality had started the process of filling or closing the potholes in the areas.
“It is only logical that these should be properly filled with tar. We are duty bound to ensure smooth access on our roads for people, goods and services, however financial resources are constrain us to deliver optimally. We have advertised for cold asphalt to ensure that we respond to all the areas that are affected. [sic]”
Feketshane said the roads infrastructure was a physical asset which deteriorated over time with use, age, weather, natural events and traffic activity. He said the roads in the area were due to be rehabilitated soon.
“A new well-built asphalt road should last at least 15 years before a major rehabilitation or full depth reconstruction is needed,” Feketshane said.
“However, surface treatment or a thin overlay every seven to 10 years can extend that to 20 years. It cost roughly R3.5-million to reconstruct a kilometre of asphalt road.”