‘City’s negligence’ only valid reason to claim from the metro
Residents can only put a claim in against the metro when the cause of the fault was as a result of the "City’s negligence”.
This is according to the Ekurhuleni metro spokesperson Themba Gadebe.
This comes after a complainant contacted the Advertiser stating that she failed in an attempt to find out where to send claims for food and medication that expired when a substation on the corner of Rietfontein Road and Third Street Boksburg North was recently destroyed by a fire due to stolen cables.
Power was restored the following day.
Gadebe said no claim against council could be instituted as the incident was not due to the metro’s negligence.
In this case, negligence would apply if the cause of the fault was a result of the metro’s electricians working at the site.
What is not classified as metro’s negligence is when the supply point was tampered with by thieves or vandals and this act was the cause of damage to the equipment, which was the case in this instance.
The complainant responded by saying it is just too easy for thieves to gain access to substations and cables and cause damage and the cables are very old too.
Gadebe offered the following information on claiming against the metro for electrical faults:
- If someone wants to submit a claim, what procedure should they follow?
Residents are encouraged to get claim forms from the energy depot situated on the corner of Trichardts and Krynauw Street.
- What documents and evidence should the claimant have in place?
Photos of the damaged equipment and copies of three quotations to replace it. Please note that the equipment quoted should be the same model, type and design.
- Who should the claimant contact to submit the claim?
The energy depot or the customer care manager office in Trichardts Road.
- If successful, about how long does it take for the claim to be paid out?
On average the pay-out takes a month provided that all the correct and relevant information have been submitted.
- If not successful, can the claimant re-submit the claim?
The claim can be resubmitted to the council ombudsman through the speaker’s office.
