20 hours ago
Equestria's road quality improves from 15% to 85%
A community-led initiative in Equestria, east of Pretoria, has significantly improved road conditions in the area, thanks to a partnership between residents, local businesses, and organisations.
More than 228 potholes have been repaired in May and June through this approach.
According to Ward 85 councillor Jacqui Uys, the community teamed up with the Equestria Joint Economic Area (JEA) through a Community Upliftment Precinct agreement to tackle the area's pothole crisis.
'The collaboration resulted in 228 potholes being repaired, pushing the area's road quality from only 15% pothole-free to a remarkable 85%,' Uys explained.
She said the initiative was driven by a successful Easter Pothole Challenge fundraiser held in April, during which 200 raffle tickets were sold at R200 each.
'The funds raised were used to purchase six tons of Roadsaver Cold Asphalt, a product guaranteed to last two years,' she said.
Uys said the repairs were carried out during May and June, with some of the labour provided by DA volunteers, local activists, and community members, including JEA co-ordinator Wade Tilley.
Local businesses also contributed manpower to support the repairs.
'This project shows what can be achieved when civil society, the private sector, and residents work together, especially when government efforts fall short,' said Uys.
Uys praised the spirit of collaboration and said similar models could be replicated across the city.
'Where the municipality cannot reach in time, communities are proving they can step in and get the job done,' she said.
In April, Tilley explained the initiative was informed by a detailed survey of Equestria's 20km road network.
Conducted on March 22, the survey found 192 potholes, an increase of 35 since the previous count in January.
To manage the scale of the project, the road network was divided into 20 equal sections.
'Each section represents about 5% of the total network. Breaking the task into milestones made it more achievable,' said Tilley.
Before repairs began, only two of the 20 sections or 10% of the network, were pothole-free, including parts of Meerlust Road and Meadow Avenue.
'We challenged residents to help us make the entire road network pothole-free,' said Tilley. 'Each R200 raffle ticket could fix one pothole, and residents stood a chance to win a family hamper sponsored by local businesses.'
Tilley said the initiative not only improves daily travel for residents but also makes the roads easier to maintain during the rainy season.
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