DESPITE reassurances from the eThekwini Municipality to act on the massive traffic congestion and heavy-duty trucks parking on pavements in Umbilo, this remains a contentious issue for residents and businesses near critical arterial routes leading to the Durban Port.

With delays of up to three hours on Sydney Road and surrounding corridors, trucks have taken to diverting and parking on urban roads not designed for freight traffic, including Bartle Road, Oliver Lea Drive, Rick Turner, Hillier, Teignmouth and Sphiwe Zuma Roads.

Ward 33 clr Fran Kristopher said the situation has become untenable and that a strategic plan of action is needed to deal with major traffic congestion and safety risks for road users in the area. She said, “We not only have to contend with trucks stacking and causing infrastructure damages to pavements, stormwater drains, traffic lights, streetlights and signage – but we now also have to be stagnant, becoming targets to criminals lurking on foot.”

She added that Victoria Mxenge Hospital is often inaccessible, creating life-threatening delays for emergency services, staff and patients. Truck congestion has also crippled access for the Congella Fire Department, raising concerns about effective disaster response in the area. “A request for more Metro and enforcement visibility and traffic controllers is paramount as motorists feel unsafe whilst in these traffic jams, and trucks are at high risk of being looted, as seen in the past,” said Kristopher.

Also Read: Trucks, traffic nightmare pose hazard on Tollgate Bridge

The Umbilo Business Association (UBA) has long flagged the issue, pointing to the unchecked parking of trucks along Sydney Road as a “major hazard and economic obstruction”. UBA spokesperson Tash Wells said: “One truck wheel can shatter a concrete drain cover, leading to flooding. Sydney Road lies below sea level and is critically dependent on effective drainage.”

The UBA has proposed truck holding facilities at Alan Paton and Congella Sports Field to ease congestion and protect infrastructure. “We have a vision for two of these truck facilities, one having space for 15 trucks and trailers at Alan Paton, the second at the Congella Sports Field holding 100 trucks and trailers,” said Wells.

Despite engaging with city officials since 2019, progress has stalled. Municipal spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said Transnet has a traffic management plan in place and that congestion is partly linked to ongoing construction. “The Bayhead/Langeberg intersection upgrade will significantly reduce delays,” she said.

Sisilana added that the city is developing an Integrated Freight Logistics Strategy to redirect trucks to major roads such as the M7, South Coast Road, Bayhead Road and Sydney Road. Long-term infrastructure upgrades are also planned to support increased freight volumes. In the meantime, residents are urged to report road damage and related issues via the eThekwini App or Sizakala Centres. Enforcement of truck restrictions on residential roads will form part of the city’s broader freight logistics plan.

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