Digging up the roads
Neotel today said that there have been a number of complaints regarding the trenching of roads during the process of laying fiber cables.
“Residents are up in arms about the state of the roads as well as the impact it has on their normal day-to-day living through traffic hold ups, potholes that are damaging vehicles and the general safety of using the roads,” Neotel said.
“There are two sides to this coin,” says Stefano Mattiello, Executive Head of Enterprise Group at Neotel. “On one hand this is clear evidence of development and improved communications for the companies and citizens of our country,” he says.
A number of players are currently laying fiber in preparation for providing better communications systems to the country as well as in preparation for the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
“On the other hand we understand the frustration of citizens, which is why Neotel is working very closely with the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) to ensure that our impact is limited.”
“At the outset I would like to make the point that Neotel is not digging up roads – we completed this part of the fiber laying process 12 months ago already,” says Mattiello.
Neotel is currently doing manual digging on the pavement, as it is in the process of laying the access layer of its fiber network.
“If at any time we have to dig on the roads, we only cross over the road and do not dig down the roads,” he states. In addition, Neotel contractors are always identified by the ‘Neotel At Work’ sign. “If there is no sign, then it is not Neotel,” Mattiello adds.
When it comes to reinstating tar on the roads that have been affected, Mattiello says this responsibility lies with the JRA. “Service Providers can’t re-tar the roads, but do have a responsibility to ensure that the backfill is done to the point of cement to minimise the impact on motorists – after that the JRA takes over to tar those sections.”
Neotel says it has gone to great lengths to ensure that their impact is limited.
“The guideline that we are working within the JRA area is 300 metres of trenching at a time – we would trench, backfill and reinstate this 300 metres before moving to another portion.”
He also confirms that Neotel does not move to another portion unless they have done the backfill and at no point leave trenches open overnight. “We’d rather work slower and ensure that we are reinstating those areas affected by our trenching than leave trenches open,” he says.
Mattiello does however believe that while the trenching is frustrating for road users, the benefit it will bring to the country down the line is enormous.
“We believe that it is a worthwhile exercise in the impact it will have citizens,” he says. “That doesn’t however mean those companies trenching should take their responsibility to reinstate the environment lightly,” he concludes.
If you would like to find out whether it is Neotel trenching in your area, please contact the Neotel contact centre on 0800 000 636.
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