29 June 2007
Residents of Makapanstad and the surrounding villages in the Moretele Local
Municipality have shown their excitement at the construction of an almost 20 km
road that links their villages with the Hamanskraal central business district.
A few months ago travelling between these areas was what one resident described
as a hassle. People could wait for hours alongside roads with no taxis to ferry
them as taxi operators made very few trips along this route. According to the
local villagers, the 19,9 kilometre tar road, initiated by the Department of
Transport, Roads and Community Safety and the Moretele Local Municipality has
drastically improved travelling conditions for the local people. The road runs
across Potoane village and runs across a number of villages that previously did
not have a tar road and cost R45,5 million.
A local taxi operator, John Mashimbye, says the project has contributed
positively to the development of the taxi industry with a new taxi rank having
been developed at Potoane village due to an increase in the number of people
travelling between Makapanstad and Hamanskraal through the new route. "I am
making an average of eight trips per day instead of the previous three that I
used to do," said Mashimbye, adding that the lifespan of taxis was increasing
compared to when they used gravel road.
"Outsiders are now beginning to frequent our area to do business and deliver
government services," he added.
The construction of the road started in April last year and only about 2
kilometres is still to be completed. Forty-nine temporary jobs were created for
the local villagers, including the youth, women and people with disabilities.
MEC for Transport, Roads and Community Safety, Phenye Vilakazi, said his
department was doing its best to improve the roads in the province and was
happy to get positive response from people whose lives have been improved in
the process.
Issued by: Department of Local Government, North West Provincial
Government
29 June 2007
Source: North West Provincial Government (http://www.nwpg.gov.za)
