iLembe Chamber and Sanral call for no heavy truck traffic on reopened M4
The plea comes amid fears that heavy trucks are likely to damage the recently repaired road and contribute to traffic congestion.
The iLembe business sector and road agency Sanral want to keep heavy trucks off the reopened M4 route.
While relieved commuters and businesses celebrated the reopening of the Tongaat River bridge last Thursday, 20 months after it was damaged in last year’s April floods, the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) and iLembe Chamber of Commerce have made an appeal to the freight industry to refrain from using the M4 for the foreseeable future.
The plea comes amid fears that heavy trucks are likely to damage the recently repaired road and contribute to traffic congestion.
iLembe Chamber of Commerce CEO Cobus Oelofse emphasised the importance of the M4 for daily commuting and business travel, stressing the need to limit truck traffic to reduce maintenance costs and enhance overall safety.
He said the Chamber has written to the provincial Department of Transport (DoT) in this regard, suggesting heavy trucks should rather be restricted to the N2.
Sanral’s eastern regional manager, Dumisani Nkabinde, echoed the sentiments, saying double-tipper trucks in particular should be kept off the M4.
The decision to enforce such an appeal lies with the DoT.
In reaction to the reopening, Oelofse said it was a case of relief rather than celebration.
“It took more than 20 months to get the bridge reopened, with the local economic impact being significant,” he said.
Ballito businessman Grant Macquet, owner of the Captains Fine’s Fish Factory, said his losses exceeded at least R1-million during the bridge shutdown.
He expressed relief at the bridge’s reopening, noting that client traffic from Umhlanga, Westbrook, and Tongaat has already picked up.
Despite ongoing work scheduled for the bridge early next year, Oelofse said the bridge would remain open.
Crawford International North Coast campus head, Samantha Smit, also expressed delight at the bridge’s reopening.
“We would like to thank our many parents located north of the school for their patience with the increased drive time and inconvenience. We have many new students joining us from Ballito in January and are thrilled the route is now open in time for the new academic year.”
Taxi commuters in Westbrook and Seatides equally expressed their joy about the more convenient travel arrangements during their daily commute to work.
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