THE South Durban Community Environmental Alliance’s Desmond D’Sa is calling for a dry port to be established in Cato Ridge and strong action to be taken against the trucking industry.
D’Sa, said trucks were involded in almost daily accidents on the roads across the country which had resulted in the deaths of school children in taxis and buses and even wiping out families in collisions between trucks and motor vehicles.
“A lot of trucks that traverse our main highways and community roads are unroadworthy and have inexperienced drivers. Most police officials do their work to pull them over and fine them for transgressions, however whether the vehicles are roadworthy or laws have been broken, does not register with trucking bosses. The truck drivers continue to drive and we witness them taking up all lanes and blocking smaller traffic vehicles who should use the right and middle lanes,” said D’Sa.
He said on all routes, whether they are north, south or west, trucks overturn or explode and catch on fire, as happened on Monday, 26 August at 8am on the M7 from Umbilo Road.
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Garrith Jamieson from Rescue Care Paramedics confirmed that the truck driver had sustained moderate injuries after the truck he was driving lost control on the onramp from Umbilo Road. Rescue Care Paramedics arrived to find the trailer had overturned and the cab of the truck crushed against the concrete barrier on the M7 and on fire.
“The Fire Department was quick to arrive and extinguish the blaze. Traffic was severely affected on the M7 coming towards Bluff from Southway Mall as only one lane of traffic was trickling past the accident scene,” said Jamieson.
D’Sa said: “Over the years a number of truck accidents have occurred without any action from the authorities to deal with this dangerous scourge on our roads which is responsible for thousands of people being maimed and killed. What will it take for the authorities to expedite action to stop these death traps on our roads?” he said.
He said with the industry activity in the area, residents living south of Durban faced an overwhelming presence of trucks on the roads. He reported that from 2005 to 2015, there had been approximately 22 major trucking accidents in the area with a death toll of 90 residents.
“The Alliance feels it is necessary for a dry port to be established in Cato Ridge, away from the city,” said D’Sa.
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