"Standard Bank hopes to have a temporary paraplegic ramp installed by the second quarter of next year," said Standard Bank Provincial Director.
"Standard Bank hopes to have a temporary paraplegic ramp installed by the second quarter of next year," said Standard Bank Provincial Director.
Earlier this year, Standard Bank submitted an application to the Makana Municipality’s planning department and aesthetics committee. The report on this application stated that the government policy "encourages all buildings to provide access to the disabled where possible".
According to Mzaidume, the building housing the Standard Bank Grahamstown branch is not owned by the bank, which approached the owner’s managing agent last year for permission to install a paraplegic ramp.
However, because the building forms part of the historical Church Square precinct, the approval process has taken longer than usual. Mzaidume said the installation of the ramp, which would comply with the 1 in 12 gradient requirement, was dependent on a number of factors.
These included securing reliable, adequately qualified contractors, and the plan for the ramp being approved by the municipality and the heritage authority. Mzaidume said the bank would install the temporary ramp as soon as approval was received.
The process to secure approval for a permanent paraplegic ramp would continue. “We are committed to helping the physically challenged, both in our workplace and in the communities in which we operate,” Mzaidume said.
