Ashley residents call for help to repair shocking state of roads
The issue of trucks using Mariannhill Road has been a problem since 2015 and the pavements are now damaged as a result.
THE fight to stop trucks from using Mariannhill Road and Fine Lane has proven futile as the situation has worsened and has left Ashley streets and pavements in a shocking state.
ALSO READ: Trucks cause havoc in Ashley area
There are more than 10 signs in Mariannhill Road and Fine Lane that clearly state that vehicles more than 3.5 tons are not permitted to use those roads. According to residents, these signs are being ignored by truck drivers.
Pat Maslen, who resides in Fine Lane, said the excessive amount of heavy duty trucks using Mariannhill Road as a link between the N3 and Westmead industrial area into the greater Pinetown area including M19 and M13 freeways, has increased drastically in recent years.
Apart from the deteriorating roads, Maslen said along the busy Mariannhill Road, there are number of schools and that concerns her deeply.
“Motorists also ignore the numerous road signs indicating the speed and max tonnage permissible on this road such as 3.5 tons, 40 km per hour and 60 km per hour, ” she added.
In addition to the truck issues, Maslen said over the past 24 months, they have had in excess of 20 burst water main pipes along the Mariannhill Road. “The water pipes have been fixed but the holes just get filled in with sand and then left to the weather elements.
ALSO READ: Hillary residents frustrated at rubble left after repairs in their areas
“We now have numerous ditches along this pavement area, and in some places a person would have to step into the road to get past them. This is very unsafe, and also a terrible eyesore in this neighbourhood. There are also, on both sides of the road, areas where the pavement slabs and drain slabs have moved, partly into the road, leaving exposed manholes,” said Maslen.
Another resident, Byron Creed said Fine Lane is a very small road, in which you cannot pass an oncoming truck without moving out the way onto the verge, which is not possible if you have just turned into Fine Lane from Mariannhill Road, because of the height of the pavement.
“One would have to reverse backing into Mariannhill Road which is very dangerous, as its a very busy road. Extremely big trucks use the roads 24 hours a day. This has been a problem going back to 2015 and Highway Mail has reported on it,” said Creed.
He said after the article was published, there were officials who issued fines for a short period.
Creed pointed out that the problem lies mainly with the drivers who ignore the signs. “We have received a positive response from the Department of Transport who said they were looking onto the matter.
Maslen also mentioned the foot bridge area at the top of Mariannhill Road which has become an eyesore as well as a vagrant hangout.
“Whenever a crime is committed in the Ashley area, criminals run towards the M13 and foot bridge,” she said.
The residents pleaded with relevant authorities to assist with the problems they are facing.
The Highway Mail sent a query to the Department of Transport and eThekwini Municipality but no response was received by the time of going to print.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za). At the time of publication, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations.
Do you want to receive alerts regarding this and other Highway community news via Telegram? Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5409. You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Telegram number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts. Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple.
