T he corner of Beyers Naudé Drive and Blueberry Street has been a motorist’s headache for months now.
The left lane turning into Blueberry Street as motorists travel westward on Beyers Naudé Drive has been completely cordoned off. Traffic travelling northbound on Blueberry Street is forced into a single lane, a nightmare for parents wanting to drop their children off at the local primary school.
Minibus taxis seem to contribute a fair amount of anguish to the issue. According to a witness – who preferred to remain anonymous – taxis regularly skip the robot intended to allow scholars and pedestrians to cross Blueberry Street. “Last week a scholar from the local primary school was nearly run-over by a taxi which had no consideration for the children trying to cross the road,” said the witness.
The reason for the constant congestion at the intersection is the construction of the Q5 pipelines. These pipelines are set to provide fresh water to all surrounding informal settlements including Riverbend, Zandspruit, Kya Sand and Cosmo City, as part of Government’s Strategic Integration Projects aimed to improve infrastructure in and around Johannesburg.
Ward 126 councillor Mike Tonkin has appealed to motorists, especially taxi drivers, to be patient and considerate to other road users. “While under construction, this project will cordon off certain roads and contribute toward traffic congestion,” said Tonkin. “But its completion is fundamental to the uplifting of informal settlements in Northern Johannesburg.”
According to Tonkin, a high influx of migrants into these settlements, as well as robust business development in the area around Roodepoort North, has placed severe pressure on local infrastructure. Rand Water has undertaken the construction of these pipelines, which will run from the Weltevreden Park Reservoir to Bosman Spruit. Upon completion the pipelines promise to deliver 20 million mega litres of fresh water to developing areas north of Roodepoort.
“Everyone has the right to clean water and sanitation. It is up to local government to see that supply meets demand. This does not mean, however, that motorists can do as they please on roads affected by construction. Rules of the road apply to everybody, including taxis,” concluded Tonkin.
