More than 15 000 pothole repair requests have been logged in the last three months.
Rob Quintas, the Mayco member for urban mobility, says the number of requests has increased year-on-year due to the significant rainfall in the metro since May.
“There is a direct link between potholes forming and water collecting on the road surface during heavy and continuous downpours,” he says.
“A contributing factor to the majority of potholes is the wet or rainy season, which is when they tend to develop. When it rains, water accumulates on the road, and the pressure exerted by vehicle tires forces the water into the asphalt layer. This repeated action between the road surface and the tires causes cracks to form.
“As water seeps through the cracks, it weakens the asphalt layers, leading to further cracking and eventually the formation of a pothole.”
With over 4 100 received in August alone, potholes are addressed on an ongoing basis by the Urban Mobility Directorate’s road infrastructure management department, he says.
“The repairs are timed in accordance with the available resources, in a systematic way, taking into consideration the weather outlook as repair work cannot be undertaken when the road surface is wet,” says Quintas.
“The team addresses potholes on a daily basis utilising internal depot resources to do temporary repairs to safeguard the area. Thereafter the City uses contractors to do the permanent repairs. The intention of temporary repairs is to improve the road safety as best we can while we (are) experiencing a very wet winter.
Unfortunately, contractors can only start with permanent repairs after the rainy season, as this type of repair requires dry conditions for prolonged periods.”
Road repairs are funded from the City’s general repairs and maintenance budget, which includes the repair of all stormwater infrastructure as well, says Quintas.
But with the state of roads in disrepair, there is some hope of retribution for motorists who sustain damage to their vehicles as a result of road conditions.
“Residents may submit a claim application to the City of Cape Town’s Insurance Claims Section for compensation by completing a public liability claim form and providing all supporting information. This includes but is not limited to, invoices in respect of the costs incurred in respect of any repairs made to the vehicle, provided that such repairs can be directly attributed to the incident.
“Alternatively, quotations in respect of the estimated costs of the reasonable repairs to the vehicle and photographs depicting the pothole or road surface defect as well as photographs of the material damage to the vehicle can be submitted,” says the Mayco member for finance, Siseko Mbandezi.
“It is important to note that each claim is assessed on its own merit, which includes assessment of whether there has been any negligence or omission on the City’s side. Once the City has received the resident’s claim form or formal correspondence, a reference number will be provided for all future liaisons. Residents may visit the City’s website to find and complete the City’s public liability claim form.”
For more information about the submission of a claim, visit the City’s website: http://www.capetown.gov.za/City-Connect/Claim-or-dispute/Complaints-and-claims-against-the-City/Submit-a-claim-against-the-City
