IN an effort to ensure the safety of pedestrians, joggers and the community as a whole, a project to lay out a pavement in Ward 8 was recently completed.
The pavement, approximately 300m long and 1m wide, is located in Bergeus Street, Lorraine, and took about three months to complete. Ward councillor, Gustav Rautenbach, said that before the pavement was erected, there was absolutely nothing there.
“The ground was uneven and overgrown with weeds and it was difficult for a lot of people to walk there. It was also unsafe for pedestrians,” he added.
“Whenever it rained, the ground would be wet and muddy. It was a sorry sight.”
According to Rautenbach, this is a very busy street, with people walking up and down in the afternoon, but especially during peak hours. Apart from that, the PE Riding Club, which is situated in this street, usually hosts many different provincial and national horse-riding competitions. It was therefore a necessity to erect a pavement at this particular spot.
“The safety of our community is of utmost importance to me. No one has to feel unsafe in this street anymore. Not only does the pavement ensure a safer place for pedestrians and joggers to go about their business, but it also makes the environment neat and pleasant on the eyes,” Rautenbach said.
He mentioned that there are many more projects in the pipeline for Ward 8, once a budget is set aside for them.
“We had the budget for the pavement, which cost just over R50 000 and we used it to improve our ward.”
Rautenbach said that this project also created jobs for four local residents, two men and two women. “Helping to uplift the community has always been important to me, but I also strongly believe that it is even more important to empower women.”
