ON Friday, MEC for Finance Francois Rodgers met with members of the Umbilo Business Association (UBA) to dissect and provide solutions for a long-standing headache of truck congestion on Sydney Road, Umbilo.
“The UBA precinct area is the third largest contributor to the GDP of eThekwini, but unfortunately,
investment into the local infrastructure has been found wanting over the years,” said Doran Subiah, chairperson of UBA.
The UBA’s proposal, which emanates from a recently concluded logistics study, is focused on preserving the local road infrastructure, recovery of the economic viability of Umbilo, crime reduction and establishing a private-public partnership to safeguard local business and community activities.
Also read: Business venture to catalyse recovery on Umbilo street
The report titled ‘Logistics Study for the Proposed Alan Paton Road Truck Staging Area in Umbilo’ stated, “It appears that the manner in which businesses have developed in the Sydney Road area has been directed, unexpectedly, by clustering market forces resulting in the concentration of large logistics operations. The result is that Sydney Road is almost unrecognisable from its appearance ten years ago.”
“The sectoral direction of development shows little sign of abating, despite the fact that the road
infrastructure is inadequate to be able to deal with the current demands being made on it.”
The UBA pointed out that the number of trucks, many of them superlinks or tri-axles, which enter the area daily, cannot be unloaded or loaded quickly enough at the receiving sites to prevent illegal parking along Sydney Road or in some streets.
Rodgers commended the UBA for various community projects, which include the revitalisation of the
Congella Park, the establishment of community gardens for the benefit of previously unemployed residents, and the establishment of some parking facilities for trucks.
He said, “From a government perspective, it appears that the proposed public-private partnership will be a unique opportunity to revitalise the Umbilo area. This will ultimately create jobs and stimulate investment as well as ensure that the area is thriving.”
Also read: Calls for signage to deter trucks in Glenwood
Rodgers undertook to discuss the proposal within government structures in a bid to secure the UBA
the assistance that it requires.
Reflecting on the meeting with the MEC, the UBA’s Subiah said, “The meeting was most encouraging and positive for our precinct. There was a distinct synergy in our approaches to the solutions that will alleviate the challenges we face and ensure sustainable economic growth.”
Subiah added, “With the advent of the GPU, it bodes well that we finally will get traction on ensuring that our precinct gets the support we need. We will finally put into action the plans to stimulate our local economy, encouraging businesses to return and others to expand, alleviate poverty and eradicate crime, and all this within the auspices of Ubuntu.”
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