25 NOVEMBER 2019, 3:38PM / FELICITY PURCHASE
“We have asked contractors who are installing fibre on behalf of the various fibre-optic service providers to maintain their service integrity.” Picture: Ian Landsberg/ African News Agency (ANA)
Excerpt only, for the full article, please see: https://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/opinion/there-is-recourse-for-cape-residents-when-fibre-installation-causes-damage-37885341?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social
There is recourse when fibre installation causes damage
The letter, “Installation of fibre infrastructure causing damage and destruction”, refers.
We have asked contractors who are installing fibre on behalf of the various fibre-optic service providers to maintain their service integrity by respecting residents’ property, the City’s roads and pavements.
Once they have installed the fibre-optic cables, they must restore the roads and pavements as per the City’s requirements.
It’s unacceptable that some infrastructure or roads are poorly reinstated or even damaged because of negligence.
A non-conformance notice is a mark against a company’s profile.
If a similar incident occurs, the fibre-optic service provider would either need to suspend or prevent the contractor from performing certain construction work in future.
Where a service provider ultimately fails to comply with the City standards, we retract all permits until the relevant standards have been met.
The City of Cape Town requires all fibre-optic service providers to employ the services of registered civil engineering practitioners (consultants) to oversee the design, implementation and final inspection of the works within the City’s road reserves.
It’s the responsibility of the consultant to ensure that contractors who are installing the services on behalf of the service provider adhere to the City’s standards, which include specific SANS prescriptions and general engineering practice.
On completion of the works, the consultant must submit the final test results to certify compliance, and call the City for a final inspection.
City staff will inspect complaints and, where required, instruct the service provider to remedy the situation at their own cost.
I must point out that where repeated non-conformances are brought to our attention, this may lead to the cancellation of wayleaves, and the service providers are aware of this.
Residents may submit their complaints to the City’s Customer Call Centre at 0860103089
* Alderman Felicity Purchase, the City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Transport.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
Cape Argus