TEIGNMOUTH Road residents have appealed to Metro Police to set up a satellite station to help curb the plague of illegal dumping, partying and truck drivers parking illegally in the road and surrounding areas.
Resident, Bob Lamont complained about the state of the road and a nearby alley, which he said had become an area of “death, filth and destruction”.
“Not a day goes by without a mugging, compounded by the stench of urine and faeces as well as the filth and litter left behind by intoxicated groups of vagrants. Trying to manoeuvre between broken bottles, rocks and scrap metal has even resulted in tyre damage to our vehicles. After sunset there are no street lights in operation, which has been reported on more than one occasion, which encourages on-going house break-ins. My neighbour has been burgled on more than half a dozen occasions. I recently had to extinguish a fire which was engulfing my boundary wall after stolen goods were set alight,” he said.
Lamont said intervention by the ward councillor and police were needed to resolve the growing crisis.
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In response, Ward 33 councillor, Mmabatho Tembe, said she had received numerous complaints about the road and the adjacent Allenby Park. She said Metro Police had carried out a number of patrols and the Parks Department had cleaned the park up, but this was an ongoing problem.
“The park is a thoroughfare between Queensmead Mall and Umbilo Road and people are littering in the area as well as dumping illegally, despite there being a sign in the park warning against illegal dumping. Every weekend there are parties in the park, with loud music and drinking in public. I have emailed Metro Police asking them to establish a satellite station on Allenby Gardens, which is off Teignmouth Road. They will be able to carry out patrols in and around the surrounding roads, enforcing issues such as illegal parking by trucks,” she said.
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She said she was waiting on a response and hoped it would be implemented soon.
“I feel this is imperative as Metro’s visibility in the area will help lessen the issues of vagrants, noise nuisance and illegal dumping in the park. Residents in Teignmouth and Allenby Gardens Roads have had enough!” she said.
Tembe said she had recently met with eThekwini Transport Authority to request more signage in the area to deter trucks from using Teignmouth and surrounding roads.
“This will enable Metro Police to do more adequate enforcement,” she said.
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