Councillor caught between hard and the rock

Irate residents put pressure on Kruger to request Metro police to fine customers who parked illegally while shopping at the centre. However, shop owners felt that this was unfair to their customers.

Kruger said there was a need for a long time solution which he was willing to pursue. “At the moment it’s difficult, we need to change traffic configurations with more parking bays,” he said.

A resident, Brian Burbaitzky said their concern was that cars were parked on the corner of Tanced Road and Long Avenue which blocked the view of motorists stopped at the stop sign on Tanced Road and motorists turning from Long Avenue into Tanced Road.

A shop owner who preferred not to be named, questioned whether the concrete balls which residents placed on their pavements to prevent shoppers from parking their were legal. Kruger admitted that the balls might be illegal, but said parking on the pavement was also illegal.

Another resident Loren Shepherd said the placement of wooden stumps and cement balls on pavements was a common sight throughout Johannesburg. “The reason for this is that it protects one’s pavement, grass and boundary wall from inconsiderate and reckless drivers. These deterrents are within the municipal bylaws which dictated that owners are allowed to protect their pavements, as long as pedestrian access is not restricted or impeded.

“There is no legal bylaw which gives shop owners the right to force nearby homeowners to turn their pavements into parking lots.”

Kruger added that in the meantime motorists should obey road regulations until a long term solution had been found.