The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng demands that the Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, urgently repair the crumbling Jim Fouche bridge in Meyerton posing a serious safety threat for road users.
This abandoned provincial bridge has not been regularly maintained. A deep trench has developed on the side of the road. This is a danger to pedestrians and motorists using the road to and from the new mall which has increased traffic.
Furthermore, this bridge has been made worse by illegal miners operating in the area.
See the photos here, here, here and here.
The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport conducted an oversight inspection of the bridge in March and to date, nothing has happened.
It is a norm for Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s government to react after something has happened. MEC Diale-Tlabela must stop being reactive and act by immediately repairing this bridge. The DA will write to MEC Diale-Tlabela to ascertain the reasons for the delays in fixing this bridge.
A DA-led Gauteng provincial government would conduct an audit of all bridges to determine which ones need urgent repair so that they will be prioritised.
Gauteng residents deserve a government that puts their safety first, the DA will fight to ensure access to properly maintained roads and bridges.