Durban - The eThekwini Municipality has begun repairing excavation patches and potholes on the city’s roads that have angered motorists, some of whom have reported that their cars have been damaged by the holes.
Roads Department workers were sent to Edith Benson Crescent opposite the Botanic Gardens where they repaired a hole that had damaged a motorist’s car on Wednesday.
This came after the Daily News reported that motorist Ross Daykin estimated that he sustained R30 000 worth of damage to his car when his tyre and rims hit a pothole.
Another pothole, which business owners had covered with a municipal rubbish bin last week, was also being repaired yesterday.
The pothole and an uncovered Telkom manhole were attended to by two workmen contracted to the phone company.
Benson Marlon of Rossburgh HI-Q, who said he did a brisk trade in tyres thanks to the city’s many potholes, alerted the department to the massive hole about three weeks ago.
Yesterday, Marlon was relieved to see workers finally attending to it.
“At last they are doing something about it, after the Daily News wrote a story,” he said.
Meanwhile, both holes on Musgrave and Peter Mokaba (Ridge) roads which had angered motorists since last month, have also been repaired.
The Daily News previously reported that Marco Accolla’s car was damaged by a pothole in Musgrave Road.
A frustrated Accolla was still waiting for a response from the city after he submitted a claim for damages two months ago.
He said barely a week passed without the municipality asking for more quotes or paperwork. But all he had received from the roads and insurance departments was a reference number.
“My claim totals approximately R45 000 for two Mercedes-Benz S class AMG rims (imported from the UK). It took me two months to save for the rims, but now they have just disappeared because eThekwini fails to properly maintain roads. I am also aware that my attorney also suffered damage to his SLK AMG rims.
“The pothole in Musgrave Road was 15cm deep. I took a photo with a ruler placed inside it,” said Accolla.
His mother, Olga Accolla, also has an outstanding claim with the city after her car hit an excavated patch in Peter Mokaba (Ridge) Road in April, causing nearly R2 000 in damage to a tyre and rim.
Daily News