Life has become extremely difficult for taxi operators who have to drive around potholes which have become a daily hazard.
Emfuleni has failed to maintain roads for about three years, leaving roads in a dire state.With the heavy rains over the past two weeks, roads in Sharpeville, Vereeniging, Sebokeng and other townships have deteriorated badly.
When Sowetan visited these areas motorists were forced to drive on the sides of roads, fearing their cars could get damaged. In Sharpeville, many roads were not even tarred, making driving in the township a nightmare for taxi drivers.
Sam Mashobane, a taxi driver, said tyre punctures have become a common experience. He gets about three punctures a month.
“As I am talking to you, there are three taxis that are parked in my yard. None of them have a spare wheel because of the potholes. It is an unbearable situation. Tshepiso in Sharpeville has the worst potholes. It is difficult to drive around the township and it delays our trips,” Mashobane said.
Replacing one Toyota Quantum tyre costs R1,800 and eats into the little money he makes daily. “You have to understand our situation. There is oversupply of taxis in the area. You cannot have just one taxi working every single day. It no longer works like that. Taxis are split into groups and each vehicle gets a chance to work three or four days a week. This enables everyone to make some cash. Replacing tyres stretches our limited revenue,” Mashobane said.
Another taxi driver who wished to remain anonymous said they have had to learn to live with potholes. “We’ve complained about potholes for a long time. It is clear that the problem cannot be fixed. We are the ones who suffer the most because we are always on the road. With the rain over the past week, the situation has gotten worse.”
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