 JRA sets aside R7m for Alex's streets
The Johannesburg Roads Agency is spending about R7-million over
the next year-and-a-half to upgrade Alexandra's crumbling road system.
JOHANNESBURG Roads Agency (JRA) has Alex's streets in its sights,
and has set aside an estimated R7-million over the next 18 months for
the upgrading of Alexandra's road infrastructure.
The aim is to make the township's roads user friendly for public
transport. The agency took officials from the City's department of
development planning, transportation and environment and ward
councillors on a tour of Alexandra on 4 October to show them some of
the work it is doing to support Public Transport Month.
"The aim of this tour is to show the councillors and officials the
work that we are doing as JRA and encourage them to use public
transport," said the agency's general manager of operations, Alan
Agaienz.
Work under way in Alexandra includes the clearing of stormwater
drainage, street naming and signage upgrading. But there are some
challenges regarding the upgrading of the road infrastructure.
"We have a problem with people who do their washing in their yards,
and pour the water on to the road after doing their washing," Agaienz
said. "The water damages the tar and we end up having potholes in our
roads.
"The other challenge is theft. We put up road signs and streets names
using aluminium poles, but people steal these for scrap within a few
weeks. If they steal them again, we won't replace them."
During the tour the councillors raised the issues of street naming in
Alexandra and the lack of stormwater drainage on most streets, which
was a problem when it rained.
"Only a few streets are named in Alexandra," said Sina Gwebu, a ward
councillor. "It's very difficult to give directions to people who want
to come visit here. Most of the streets don't have storm water
drainage if there is it would be a very small one … A lot of work
still needs to be done here in Alex but we are very happy [with] what
the JRA is doing."
As part of its contributions to Public Transport Month, the City is
promoting the use of public transport by its employees as well as its
ridesharing initiative, RideSmart.
It has also planned various activities centred on four themes
identified by the national Department of Transport, namely safety and
security; infrastructure and 2010 plans; public transport; and
non-motorised transport.
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