Seek permission to fix roads: BCC

TENDAI BHEBE IN BULAWAYO

 

Stakeholders seeking to repair badly damaged roads in their neighbourhood on their own or by engaging the services of private construction companies should seek permission from the Bulawayo City Council (BCC), town clerk Christopher Dube has said.

The rehabilitation works, he said, will be inspected by the BCC roads engineers.

The engineer will advise all relevant stakeholders to a section of road being fixed of all the necessary safety, health and environment regulations adhered to.

Dube said some uninspected road works have been extended outside the prescribed road servitude.

“The said road works have in most cases caused unnecessary distress to the motoring public, without prior warning, and in some instances impeded other services within the servitude. Some drain works have been constructed and are now leading water into other peoples’ properties,” Dube said.

“Council would like to re-iterate that any road works to be implemented on the city’s road network have to be approved, checked and inspected by the roads engineers.

“In turn all relevant stakeholders to a section of road being fixed, are to be informed and the necessary Safety, Health and Environment regulations adhered to.”

He said council continues supplying the gravel for pothole patching, adding that BCC “appreciates the efforts made by some residents on this noble gesture and will continue supporting all such initiatives, which have been authorised”.

Meanwhile, Bulawayo residents have expressed outrage over the new parking fees demanded by the BCC and its partner Tendy Three Investments (TTI), saying they are unjustified as the infrastructure that they are meant to go towards rehabilitating is still in a derelict state.

Recently, BCC announced new fees effective from June 1.

For a platinum package, motorists will pay US$90 a month, while for the gold package, they will fork out US$50 a fortnight. For a silver package, motorists will pay US$30 a week.

Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association secretary Thembelani Dube said the BCC should be clear on the money they are collecting from TTI.

He said the weekly and monthly parking fees that have been charged by the BCC and TTI will not be afforded by the majority of motorists because right now the majority is failing to pay the US$1 per hour.

“Furthermore the residents haven’t seen the actual proceeds of the parking fees.

“The roads continue to be littered with potholes and generally the infrastructure that is supposed to be rehabilitated using these fees,” Thembelani said.

“In short BCC and TTI are the ones who can explain further on what they have been doing with the money because from the residents’ perspective nothing much can be

Under a six-year build, operate and transfer arrangement, the local authority gets 30% of revenue, while TTI takes 70%.

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