Halfway House Development Forum makes immediate impact in the suburb
In a bid to block taxis from parking illegally, William Lee said the Grand Central Apartments owners paid about R70 000 to instal concrete bollards outside the apartments.
The newly launched Halfway House Development Forum (HHDF) made great strides in its second meeting on April 4.
The meeting focused on how the forum was going to restore, rebuild and revitalise the suburb, and was attended by Metro police officials and the Environmental Health Department.
Illegal parking on the pavements by taxis has been a challenge, and that’s what the forum hopes to eradicate with the help of all authorities involved. To this end, shortly after the meeting, Metro police issued traffic fines to illegally parked taxis on the corner of Market Street and Exchange Road.
Grand Central Apartments has been affected by this illegal parking. William Lee, who does maintenance at the apartments claimed the owners spent about R70 000 to plant trees and instal stone structures on their pavement to prevent taxis from parking there. “Unfortunately, they still squeeze in here… I am happy today that the officers are here to remove them and issue traffic fines.”
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The officials removed about 15 to 20 taxis which were illegally parked. This was warmly welcomed by the forum representatives including Ward 110 councillor Angie Mphaho, Dr Andrew Jacovides and Rob Fowler of Rob Fowler and Associates – Town and Regional Planners.
Fowler said law enforcement agencies needed to carry out these operations regularly.
“If we get the traffic sorted out, then we will have a starting point. I think what is important here is to ask officials to make sure that motorists, including taxi drivers, abide by the law. Why are these taxis parking here, and not in the taxi rank? Every building, business and malls or shopping centres need to provide their customers with parking,” argued Fowler.
Read more: Halfway House Development Forum launched and aims to clean up the suburb
Mphaho added soon mechanics would start repairing taxis on the pavement resulting in an influx of illegal trading of vendors.
“That’s why I came to this meeting and called JMPD to come and attend. When you come through the gate, you see taxis, parking there. Taxis have a rank on South Street, and that’s where they should park,” said Mphaho.
Jacovides, an owner of one of the shopping centres, said, “You can’t build a building without providing parking space for your customers. So what happens is they all park illegally in the streets and pavements. E-hailing services will then make U-turns illegally. The bad has followed because the bad has started. If we can nip it at the origin, the rest will follow.”
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