Johannesburg's highways ground to a standstill on Thursday last week after a truck carrying chemicals overturned near the Jukskei River bridge on the N1 north to Pretoria just before the peak traffic time. It blocked three lanes and spilled chemicals all over the road. I was just one of the many thousands that sat in the traffic for hours as the Metro police closed the highway completely, then cleaned the chemical spill, removed the truck and got the traffic flowing again.While sitting in the traffic, getting as frustrated as the next person and listening to never-ending radio reports on the traffic nightmare, I got to thinking about the metropolitan authorities.
As I sat there I wondered if the town planners in Sandton, Randburg, Johannesburg and Midrand were proud of their handiwork. I thought about other city councils around the country: Cape Town, Tshwane, Ekhurleni, eThekwini. I had plenty of time to think because the traffic was at a standstill and the sun was going down by then.
It occurred to me that municipal officials – in every municipal area it seems – are quite happy to approve new housing schemes where ever they can. They're just as happy to allow sub-divisions so that four townhouses can be built where just one home used to stand.
Every new property gives the council a new revenue stream in rates and taxes that is imposed almost immediately and last forever.
I thought about all these new 'affordable' townships priced up to a million and more and it struck me that every one of them has to be at least a 'two car property' because there is no reliable public transport.
I watch the taxis on the highway trying to push in from the emergency lanes and saw the irate drivers refusing to let them in. Gridlock and bad tempers all over Johannesburg, Sandton, Midrand, Centurion and Pretoria. There is no joy in commuting on any highway anywhere in South Africa.
I thought how those council officials do almost nothing to improve the road network or, if they do, it takes them years and years to complete.
Nowadays, councils force commuters to pay the costs of putting in the reticulation and services, build the roads, put up the streetlights and so forth.
Typically, the ever-greedy councils insist plans must be approved, stamped and signed. Council signatures are precious and costly. Almost as soon as the properties start selling they attract the council rates and taxes too.
Money starts rolling in. Month by month more cash arrives. Yet, when you approach the council and demand improvements to the roads network there's never any money for that. There's no money for public transport. There's no money for a clinic.
Then you tell me what the hell are they doing with all the new rates they're getting paid?
It seems these issues are endemic in every council everywhere in South Africa. Rates flow in from luckless residents, who crowd the highways and byways trying to get home in less than two hours because the roads network is so damned inefficient.
It doesn't really matter where you live: Try commuting from Umhlanga Rocks to central Durban. Take the road from Fourways into Rosebank.
As I sit in the gridlock I can feel my own anger mounting. At least the traffic is starting to move. Very slowly, buts its drifting anyway.
I think about the traffic jams in Cape Town going up the N1 or N2. It's just as bad there. I remember driving through the traffic queues from Hout Bay to Constantia and then to Cape Town itself.
Dammit, the traffic has come to a stop again. It'll be a long haul back to Pretoria tonight.
I start imagining what it would be like if we had an efficient council somewhere in this land. Imagine, I thought if – while the developers were putting in the reticulation and services – the councils were improving the roads network leading to that development. Imagine if they designed routes for a new bus service (or a train service for that matter) so that people could reliably and quickly get to their destinations and then get home again.
Imagine if the councils were staffed by capable and competent adminstrators, planners and inspectors. Wouldn't that be superb?
The traffic on the N1 is starting to move at a seemingly consistent 15 kilometres an hour.
I wonder to myself what it would be like to have a clean and efficient bus or train service. One that ran on time.
How nice it would be, I thought to myself, if I could actually use the R33-billion Gautrain. While bumbling down the highway I did some sums. Let's say I left Faerie Glen heading for the Gautrain station in Hatfield. I'd have to leave at about 06h30 in the morning and it would take me until say 07h45 to get there if there were no accidents along the way. Then, presuming that the Gautrain does actually run on time it will take me at least another 40 minutes to get to Rosebank.
Maybe, if we're lucky the taxi service in Rosebank will operate efficiently and reliably. So let's allow another ten minutes to get to my destination. There's probably a bit of time to add for parking my car, boarding the train, stopping at stations and so forth.
I realise that I'd still only get to Rosebank at about 08h30 anyway. I may as well use my car 'cause that's how long it takes me now – on a good day.
As I get to the outskirts of Pretoria I realise that I should resign myself to traffic gridlock because it's never going to change.
As I drive through the suburbs it strikes me that the current bunch of 'nanas in our 'uncivil' administration will be replaced by a similarly incompetent bunch of 'nanas, year after year, forever more.
At last I turn into my driveway, more than three hours after I'd left my office. And I thank God that I am home.
*Hartdegen writes a regular column for Property24.com. The content of his columns constitutes his personal opinion and don't pretend to be facts or advice. Contact him at paddyhar@telkomsa.net.
Readers' Comments
Have a comment or question about this article? Email us now..
I live in Witbank, whose driving fraternity are asking the same questions.
Three billboards spanning the widths of the main roads and costing the tax payers millions have been erected, but when you look at the appalling condition of the road system, it makes one wonder were our money is going to. When you see the vehicles that our public servants are riding around in, and intervals at which they are replaced, little wonder the roads are in such a state.
But as everywhere else you look in South Africa our main services are not the priority of the officials. The lining of their pockets with our hard earned money is first on their agenda. - Barry
I sympathise with the writer of this article. On Thursday I left my place in Pretoria at about 07:15 to Midrand, I arrived in Midrand.
At 09:10, two hours later. When you think that Midrand is about 25km from Pretoria, then you really realise how serious the traffic situation is in Gauteng. It is always a pleasure to visit my mother in the Northern Cape, no long traffic queues, until I return to Gauteng. But I think that's the times we are living in. - Anonymous
I agree totally with Mr Hartdegen – just look at the areas surrounding Eastgate!! Not only does the council not care about the traffic congestion – what about the extra burden on the electricity grid?! I remember the big hoo haa with blackouts for days in the Eastgate area!!
I have noticed the same in the Houghton area – houses are being demolished to put up new cluster homes etc., from supplying one household with electricity and access to roads etc, it goes to at least ten – total greed if you ask me.
Now comes the clincher – I live in the south (Apple Orchards) of Joburg on a plot that we bought to get away from the city and have somewhere peaceful to ride our horses. There is an old game reserve a block away from us which went from being neatly fenced to having absolutely no fence at all – anyway I digress – we received the news in our Community newsletter that developers are planning to "develop" this game reserve – putting up 16,000 homes, a school and (surprise!!!) a shopping mall. While I have no problem with development it comes down to exactly what Paddy is saying – road access!!
Most of the roads are dirt roads and the tar roads are already under pressure because of a church that was built (our area is zoned agricultural – just by the way) and we have a latex factory!!! It is also not safe to go riding as some of the drivers that are using the roads go screaming past and find it amusing to hoot loudly at you and your horse scaring the hell out of both!!! Bought licenses too? The main access road will be the R82 which is in a shocking state as most of the big trucks use it to avoid the Grasmere Tollgate – so putting pressure on an already very busy road.
Just as Mr Hartdegen says – greed all the way!!! - Lynette Cousins
I reside in Ennerdale and I travel to and from work using the N1 (north & south). What you have experienced is exactly what I experience from Monday to Friday. So you can imagine how i feel – STRESSED out! Yes, you're right, no consideration was taken, taking account that more roads and electricity would be needed due to the development of townhouses etc. Should the Ministers of Energy and Land Affairs not their homework on this issue? - Stephney Bloem
Good article. The greed of our so-called administrators is to blame. In Witbank a traffic officer was recently paid R53k for overtime accrued in one month. He claimed 491 hours of overtime in a single month. Add that to the normal 200 hour working month and that left him with 19 hours for the whole month to sleep, eat, travel to work etc. IMPOSSIBLE!
Yet somebody must have authorised all this overtime and is obviously taking a cut. It is no wonder that all the municipalities are broke. Africa has taken the definition of corruption to exceedingly new dizzy heights. - Kevin Owen
Looking for a new home?
To find a property to buy, visit Find a Property and view listings of properties in all areas. Check out Property Reports and get an affordable online report on actual sold prices of properties in your area.
Property News
Click here for more property news articles.
Need a blog?
Start your own blog with a free blog from 24.com.
Print
