Potholes giving Joburg motorists more to worry about

Motorists will have to be extra cautious this festive season as dodging potholes is becoming the norm. Roads across the city have been severely affected by recent heavy rains. While motorists are being encouraged to drive slowly to avoid accidents, it will be some time before significant repairs can be made. According to Siyabonga Nodu, the acting general manager at the Johannesburg Roads Agency, the city’s roads don’t meet minimum requirements.

“There’s something called a visual condition index, which is the standard by which we measure the condition of our roads in terms of functionality. At the moment, our roads are actually less than the 60% requirement.” In recent weeks, heavy rains have exacerbated the poor condition of roads resulting in large potholes.

As a result, many vehicles have been badly damaged. The city of Joburg says residents who can prove that their vehicles were damaged by poor infrastructure, can submit claims. Nodu attributes the high number of potholes to two key things: heavy rains which erode weak areas of the road’s surface, and poor storm water drainage systems that result in waterlogged roads. Metro police are urging motorists to be extra cautious this festive season, especially on rainy nights.

“Do keep a safe following distance between you and the vehicle in front, so you can see the pothole and divert from it. Also, avoid puddles, because when it’s raining and there are puddles and you can’t see a pothole, there’s a high chance you can cause an accident because you didn’t see the puddle”, says JMPD spokesperson Xoli Fihla. Nodu says rapid response teams have been dispatched to all affected areas to assess the damage caused.

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Source: eNCA