Vusumuzi Dube
Amanda Mlevu, Sunday News Reporter
COMMUTERS and motorists that use Luveve road, have called for the speedy completion of rehabilitation works revealing that the road works that are currently taking place cause congestions and are a risky especially during peak hours.
Rehabilitation works at the largely dilapidated Luveve Road began in January this year and was set to include pothole patching, localised pavement reconstruction, overlays, reinstating of carriageway markings, drainage and other general maintenance works.
However, it has faced a number hiccups along the way, inclusive of a halt in March allegedly over payment currency disagreements between the local authority and a contractor who was expected to supply a road paving machine.
In June, the local authority said works had resumed claiming that it will be completed in three works, however over a month past that deadline, works are still going on at the site.
In different interviews, commuters and motorists said the prolonged works were now causing a risk to those that use the road.
“On a normal day I should at least take six trips per day but because of the traffic I can only transport four and this affects my business badly,” said an Emakhandeni taxi driver on Monday.
Some of the cars don’t even use the road anymore because if they use Luveve road they will take longer to reach their respective destinations.
“We now opt for the Mpilo route and connect in Mzilikazi then we can continue, but its wasting a lot of fuel and time”, said the driver.
People are now complaining that their children are no longer safe as cars will be racing on that street in order to get home.
Mr Funwell Dube one of the residents said his daughter was almost hit by a car on that spot around 6pm in the afternoon.
“My daughter was going to buy bread at the garage and she was almost hit by a car since the cars were so close to each other, I don’t blame the drivers but I wish the process would speed up so that people can be safe”, said Mr Dube.
Cowdray park drivers revealed that their destination is very far and this traffic has caused their customers to complain because they get home very late.
The drivers suggested that if the rehabilitation is going to take long then it would be rational to move the stones and the sand and open a two-way street”.
Online Reporter