William Nicol: Trucks disobey signage

Residents have been complaining that trucks still use William Nicol Road as the quicker route to their destinations.

This follows the JMPD spokespersons, Wayne Minnaar and Edna Mamonyane, officially introducing the new signage banning heavy vehicle traffic on 27 August. They said that truck drivers who disobey the new signage will be issued a R500 fine each as of 2 September, and it seems that the struggle continues to get trucks off the dangerously sloping road.

“I used to travel along William Nicol Road daily,” a resident told the Record, “but since that horrific accident I changed my route.

“I was pleased to hear that the JMPD finally were playing their part in getting trucks banned from the road.

“However, this morning I saw two 8-ton trucks travelling down William Nicol Road and I’m not sure whether they were spotted or fined.

“My colleagues have been telling me that they always see trucks travelling along the road, despite JMPD and community efforts to stop it.”

The resident is afraid that banning trucks on William Nicol Road might be short-lived or only selectively punished, “which won’t really work towards a solution”.

The Record posed some questions to Minnaar to ascertain how many trucks have been fined to date and how regularly they patrol or monitor the area.

“I cannot confirm the amount of fines issued to date.

“However, JMPD officers were surveying the area visibly during the course of the week.

“We have to intensify law enforcement in this regard; perhaps by dedicating more officers more frequently, and we plan on starting those operations as soon as next week.”