Clare Estate bus owners take action to repair Kennedy Road potholes
Clare Estate bus owners dug deep into their pockets to fix a pothole riddled Kennedy Road on Friday.
Pra Sukdeo, the chairperson of the Clare Estate and Sydenham Bus Owners Association said the road had huge holes that caused significant damage to the buses and vehicles since December 2024. He said heaps of sand blocked one portion of the lane and the holes forced motorists to drive on the pavement and the grass verge causing damage to the paintwork of the buses and mechanical parts. He said that the transport operators then began using Elf Place as an alternative route, stirring up discontent with local residents.
He said the bus owners hired a grader to fill in the holes and level the road surface as an interim measure. It is alleged that residents did not want road works to be carried out by contractors from outside the area.
Gugu Sisilana, eThekwini Municipality spokesperson, said a site meeting was conducted with an appointed contractor and work was scheduled to commence on Tuesday, 17 June. The scope of work entails the re-construction of road layerworks and a sidewalk.
She said part of the damages to the road was caused by the recent torrential rains. While the municipality did not directly comment on the work undertaken to fix the road by the bus owners they stated that a clean city is not just the responsibility of one department or a select group of workers, but rather a shared mission that requires the participation of every resident, business, and visitor.
She said that from waste collectors on the frontline, to families at home; each action contributes to a healthier and a more beautiful urban environment.
“When we work together hand in hand, we build a culture of cleanliness and civic pride. Let us all play our part in protecting our city’s beauty, health, and sustainability. Keeping eThekwini clean begins with everyone,” Sisilana said.
A group of residents who wished to remain anonymous also complained about the deplorable state of the verges with litter piled up. With regard to the litter on the road and pavements, Sisilana explained that the Cleansing and Solid Waste (CSW) Unit has conducted numerous clean-ups in the area. She said awareness campaigns have also been done to educate and create awareness on proper waste management practices.
She said that skip bins have been placed on Kennedy Road and are serviced three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. However, one of the skips was removed two weeks ago due to excessive rubble being deposited both inside and around it.
“This made it difficult for the industrial truck to access and empty the skip safely. We will return the skip once we have deployed a Tractor-Loader-Backhoe (TLB) and tipper trucks to clear the rubble currently occupying that space. In addition to the regular skip servicing schedule, a contractor collects waste from Kennedy Road on Tuesdays, and a DSW truck is dispatched subsequently to support ongoing waste management efforts in the area,” Sisilana said.
zainul.dawood@inl.co.za
