Elm Street residents in Grobler Park are up in arms as a result of a trucking company that uses a property in the same street. They say noise levels and traffic in their neighbourhood have increased and that their children are not able to play outside as a result of the potential hazards caused by the trucks.
Romeo Munyai who lives a few houses away from the alleged truck depot told the Record that a Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) vehicle drove in and out of the property regularly.
“A neighbour who is a JMPD officer was part of the meeting we had about the issue of the trucks in our street and that is where a petition was also circulated,” said Munyai.
According to the residents the issue was brought to the attention of JMPD and up to this point no one has acted.
The Record brought the matter to the attention of Ward 71 councillor René Benjamin who responded by saying she was not aware of any trucking activity in the area.
“With regards to the issue of trucks, if there are people who, for work purposes, are parking trucks and it is causing a hazard or a problem, then the residents need to contact JMPD to come out and investigate the matter when the trucks are there.
“There is no point in reporting it when the trucks are not there as they need to see where the trucks are parked, what the hazard is and how much of the road space they are taking up. That is the protocol to follow so that JMPD can deal with the owners.
“The petition signed by the residents would have to go to JMPD as it is a by-law enforcement issue,” said councillor Benjamin.
When the Record contacted truck company BAS Logistics, they declined when requested to comment, and indicated that the owner of the company also was not available to comment on the matter.
According to JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla, there are no by-laws or regulations regarding heavy-duty vehicles operating in residential areas, but heavy-duty vehicles are prohibited from using certain roads due to the weight and size of the vehicle. An example is Doreen Road in Ruimsig where trucks which weigh above five tons are prohibited from using the road.
“Signage has been erected to indicate that those types of vehicles are prohibited from using the road. JMPD can only act on trucks that exceed the stipulated weight; unfortunately, JMPD has no power to change the rules of the road.
“We encourage residents to write letters to the provincial or national transport departments requesting a complete ban on trucks using certain roads in residential areas,” said Fihla.
The Department of Transport is responsible for regulating and coordinating transportation in South Africa, which comprises public transport, rail transportation, civil aviation, maritime transport and road transport.
Members of the public can contact the Department of Transport in the following ways:
• Ministerial correspondence
Email: TransportMinistry@dot.gov.za
• Switchboard
Tel: 012 309 3000
Email: info@dot.gov.za
• Information Centre / Helpdesk
Tel: 012 309 3380 / 3774
Email: info@dot.gov.za
