Street Paving and Landscaping
To improve the quality of life and the safety of the pedestrians in Bekkersdal, street paving and landscaping have been planned and implemented in the Bekkersdal Renewal Project.
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| New pavements in Bekkersdal make life much easier for pedestrians |
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The street paving and landscaping of Mokwe Street, Zamki Street and Modimoeng Streets were completed in February 2008.
Bekkersdal pedestrians can now walk in safety on neat new pavements and have benches to sit on at public places.
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| New pavements in Bekkersdal make life much easier for pedestrians |
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The Greening of Bekkersdal
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| Children planting a tree in Bekkersdal |
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Most trees are planted to provide beauty or shade. But trees also have many more important social, environmental and economic benefits too. Trees make our environment seem more beautiful.
"We planted lots of trees on the busiest streets of our township to beautify our surroundings and make our residential area more attractive,” said Mokete Monyane of the BDF. "Unfortunately, some trees were destroyed. Seemingly, some people are determined to destroy public property and these acts of vandalism won’t be tolerated by the community,” he warned.
Stakeholders of the BDF are encouraging the residents of Bekkersdal to take charge of their new public facilities. A door-to-door campaign has been launched on 30th July to make the public aware about the importance of respecting and caring for the new public assets and facilities in Bekkersdal. “The Bekkersdal Renewal Project has created new parks, planted trees, put in public street furniture, distributed dustbins, erected palisade fencing along the storm water channels and built and upgraded the police station and clinics. It is up to every one of us in Bekkersdal to protect and care for these new facilities,” said Mokete. “We will be holding workshops, distributing pamphlets and visiting households, to raise the community’s awareness about these issues,” he said.
Trees Improve our Lives
Looking at trees help us to feel calm, peaceful and relaxed. Even hospital patients recover more quickly if they have a view of trees from their window. Trees also increase the value of our homes or property as they enhance the look of buildings and architecture. They reduce glare and reflection from the sun. Trees also enhance the environment in which we live by improving air quality, conserving water, and harboring wildlife. Trees moderate climate by lessening the effects of sun, wind, and rain. Trees also deflect the damage that can be caused by rain, sleet, and hail, providing some protection for people, pets, and buildings. Trees intercept water and reduce storm runoff, thus lowering the possibility of flooding. Dew and frost are less common under trees because less radiant energy is released from the soil in those areas at night. Trees provide us with oxygen and the leaves filter the air we breathe by removing dust and other particles.
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Storm Water Channels
Storm water has always been a problem in Bekkersdal, as heavy rains flood the roads. Storm water channels are being created to manage the flow of water during heavy downpours. A problem has been experienced with vandalism of the palisade fences alongside the storm water channels. These fences are there for the safety of the public and especially children, during rains and high water in the channels. Please report any incidents of vandalism to the SAPS in Bekkersdal.
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| A new storm water channel constructed in Bekkersdal prevents flooding of the roads during heavy storms |
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Roads
The Bekkersdal road network primarily consists of a distributor road, a collector road, and a number of prominent internal roads. All the internal roads of Bekkersdal are paved tar roads that are still in a fairly good condition. The access roads to and from Westonaria to the south and Randfontein/ Soweto to the north are also of a high standard and good condition.
The only real problem with the general road network of Bekkersdal is the manner in which higher-order roads are connected and the way in which this affects traffic flow.
One of the aims of the Bekkersdal Renewal Project will be to integrate the envisaged agricultural area with Bekkersdal Proper, in so doing creating an agricultural community. This will require the efficient integration of the informal settlement/ agricultural road network to that of the formal network of Bekkersdal.
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| A road which has been paved in Bekkersdal |
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Land use and transportation integration forms the backbone of an efficient urban structure. It not only ensures the cost-effective operation of a town’s public transportation system, but also has a positive impact on neighboring land uses. For example, the correct placing and design of taxi drop-off and collection points can increase the viability and profitability of local businesses.
Two elements play an important role in obtaining such an integrated transportation system: the road network and the public transportation system operating on these roads. The Bekkersdal Renewal Project aims to address the following areas requiring improvement: the relatively poor distributor and collector road definition and poor linkages to the envisaged urban agricultural component.
Completed Projects
- Taxi Rank traffic flow augmentation and upgrading
- Approximately 12km of roads (informal area), 5m wide gravel wearing courses and a stormwater side drain (Hyson Cells lining)
- The construction of new roads resulted in the relocation of approximately 350 shacks to the transit camp, which falls within the road reserve. This also entailed the development of the transit camp, with VIP latrines and stand taps.
- Construction of Industrial Road link
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The upgrading of road access to the industrial precinct has been completed and is awaiting sign-off by local government. Water drainage is still a problem in the main road and plans are in place to fix this problem. New speed-humps have been put in to stop speeding and to protect pedestrians. Taxi lay-bys have also been created to avoid taxis from stopping in places that block the traffic. The Greater Westonaria Taxi Service was involved in creating the taxi lay-bys. Taxi drivers and commuters are being encouraged to start using these facilities created for them.
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