Clairwood residents fear logistic trucks have taken over their neighbourhood
Durban — Clairwood ward 32 residents are fed up over scattered logistics trucks overcrowding the residential area and disturbing life’s day-to-day functions.
A community member, who refused to be named for safety reasons, said the logistic trucks have been part of the neighbourhood for over 14 years, and most people who used to live in the area had relocated, escaping from the broken living conditions caused by the trucks.
She said the trucks have been causing constant structural damage to the infrastructure.
“This is a residential area for people to live in, and we need to feel safe, but it is very hard because these trucks work 24 hours, which makes it hard for us to get enough sleep. We wake up in the middle of the night because of the havoc and noise.
“As a result, our houses are suffering; the windows and walls are cracking, tiles are moving and the roofs falling off. The roads are broken beyond repair; potholes are all over the place, so our cars always get broken,” said the source.
She said residents had been reporting the issue to the municipality over the years, but nothing has ever been done.
“We have tried to reach out for help to the municipality, but nobody is attending to the issue. All we ever get is empty promises.
“Our hands are tied, the crime is bad, people living on the streets enter our houses and threaten to kill us with bush knives,” said the source.
She said the oil and diesel spills coming out of the trucks were a health hazard to residents.
“It is not good for humans to live like this. I have experienced breathing problems because of this, and people get cholera from the sewage coming from burst pipes,” said the source.
She said truck owners threatened to remove the residents and turn the area into a logistics business zone.
Another resident from Done Road, Shaik Ismail, said the trucking place near his house always had trucks moving up and down and blocking the driveway.
“As a community, we do not know who to go and talk to, because nobody wants to stop this ill behaviour.
“A lot of people use trolleys to collect metals from the trucking place, and they end up stealing from our yards,” said Ismail.
He said children walking to school were mugged, and many people were leaving the area due to the truck issue.
eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Lindiwe Khuzwayo said the City had reported the issue to the relevant unit for investigation.
“Regarding criminal activity in the area, Clairwood is located close to industries, the harbour, trucking businesses and motor workshops, and therefore by-law transgressions reported to us are mostly illegal uses of land.
“These are always addressed. During multi-disciplinary operations, various departments have in the past fined illegal businesses and trucks in the area. These operations continue. Damaged infrastructure, such as potholes, are repaired when reported to the City,” Khuzwayo said.
She called on residents to report criminal activity and any other by-law transgression as and when it happens so that these can be attended to with speed.
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