RTI breaks no truck law
More than 19 trucks were redirected by RTI officials from the N3 onto the M13 Durban bound during peak hour traffic last Friday.
WARD 10 councillor Rick Crouch is fuming over the RTIs lack of foresight when they diverted trucks from the N3 onto the M13 during peak hour traffic last Friday morning, inspite of the mandatory no trucks law.
According to Crouch, there was an accident on the N3 involving two large trucks and there was no law enforcement at exit 28 to ensure the trucks stopped at the mandatory stop. He noted that the trucks continued to travel down Field’s Hill towards Durban.
“I counted 19 heavy trucks, one behind the other, on the M13 between Old Main Road in Hillcrest and Everton Road in Gillitts. To make matters worse, two large trucks and trailers turned off the M13 onto Old Main Road and into York Avenue, which is barely wide enough for one car let alone a large truck. I immediately contacted the Metro Police in Gillitts and was told they do not have a vehicle to take officers to the mandatory stop to ensure that the trucks stop,” said Crouch.
“Metro Police informed me that the diverting of the trucks was the fault of the RTI as Metro Police are secondary to RTI in these situations. So all the MEC’s bluster RTI officers, who he has oversight over, are directing heavy trucks down Fields Hill at peak morning traffic time. The MEC has not done any of the things he outlined in the Legislature, not even erecting the updated signage. There is still no signage at the bottom of the hill on the Pietermaritzburg bound lanes. The question I ask is why were the trucks not stacked on the N3 as they were not supposed to proceed past Hillcrest until 9am anyway? The MEC, Willies Mchunu, has not taken the loss of life seriously and is still practicing tombstone legislation. I ask you MEC, how many more tombstones do we need on Fields Hill before you take some serious action?” asked Crouch.
RTI have not responded to emails sent to them by the Highway Mail.
