WATCH: Trucks- a threat to Clairwood residents

Infuriated residents of Clairwood, religious organisations and community activists have for decades been calling for the banning of heavy-duty trucks operating in the Clairwood residential area, but their pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

Residents claim they are being tormented by the trucks that have taken over their community, causing serious damage to the roads, pavements, and infrastructure, and have made driving in the area, a nightmare.

Over the years, there have been several fatal accidents involving a number of residents, including young children, and just two weeks ago, a pedestrian was tragically killed after he was mowed down by a truck on Persadh Road while making his way home from work.

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Clairwood resident, Mala Ramsing, said the truck drivers have no respect for other motorists and pedestrians using the roads.

She further stated that the roads have deteriorated to such an extent that most of them no longer have pavements and some had become dirt roads as the tar had gradually eroded under the heavy weight of the trucks using these roads on a daily basis.

On one road, a massive pothole spanning a metre had formed and was filled with murky sewage water making it very difficult for motorists to use that road, especially when it rained.

“The roads have been damaged extensively and there are potholes on every single road in Clairwood. Not to mention the sewer smell coming from the damaged sewer pipes on Dayal Road, it’s just nauseating. The sewer is outside the church and I don’t know how the church patrons are able to attend service and pray with this filth. We also have a sports ground on Dayal Road and our children are unable to play there because the sewer smell is unbearable. The councillor is aware of this and nothing is being done about it. The residents are fed up,” she said.

Another resident who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being victimised, said the trucking issue had become so bad that Metro Police patrolling in the area see the trucks obstructing traffic or parking on the pavements, but no fines are issued to them.

“We fear for our children’s safety. They can’t walk to school alone, we have to accompany them because they have to walk on the road. Where I live, it’s not unusual to find one truck parked across the street and another truck parked on the pavement on my side of the road and the only space left is for someone to walk on the road facing oncoming traffic. These roads are very narrow and are not equipped to carry the heavy weight of these massive trucks,” she said.

The woman claimed that a lot of damage to the infrastructure in the area was as a direct result of the trucks.

“We have broken sewer pipes and broken manhole covers and damaged pavements because of the trucks. The truck owners live in fancy places like Umdloti and Umhlanga and don’t care about how the residents are affected, they just do as they please,” she said.

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The woman also shared her disappointment at ward councillor, Portas Ngonyama, who she described as an invisible councillor that has done nothing to aid the suffering residents.

“He is on our community WhatsApp group but does not respond. Just recently, we had an issue where a couple of roads didn’t have water for an entire day and he didn’t respond. He didn’t even make any arrangements to send one water tanker to supply the residents with water so what is the point of having a councillor,” added the irate woman.

The woman believes residents will eventually sell their houses and Clairwood would become a barren land with just trucks and containers. Several attempts to make contact with the councillor were unsuccessful at the time of going to print.