Police have warned fishermen against parking on the Tongaat River bridge after a surge of car theft at the popular spot.
Umhlali SAPS spokesperson Captain Vinny Pillay said that four cases of car theft had been reported so far this month.
“Fishermen park on the sides of the bridge before heading to the beach below. Be it during the day or at night, if you drive on the bridge you will see cars parked on either side and on weekends they are lined up.”
The bridge on the M4, just before Westbrook is a popular and convenient spot for fishermen to park their cars before gaining easy access to the beach.
Pillay said that with winter approaching, theft is likely to increase.
“At night there are no street lights on the road, it is sometimes quiet and there is a lot of bush around the bridge.”
The bridge is notorious for traffic accidents. Pillay warned that aside from theft, people could be exposing themselves to unnecessary danger.
“There have been cases of people getting run over while crossing the bridge to get to the beach but the most common accidents happen when drivers pull out onto the road and collide with oncoming cars. The fact is that people are not supposed to park on that bridge and they could be fined. Just because it is common, does not mean it is legal.”
Despite warnings, some fishermen who have parked on the bridge for years, say they will not stop.
Yeshalen Naidoo from Tongaat said he and his family parked on the bridge often and that they have never felt unsafe.
“We have lived in Tongaat for 37 years. When my family and I fish, we park on the bridge.
“We do not invite danger. Obviously if you go there alone, in the middle of the night, safety could be a problem.
“We lock our car doors, keep an eye on the car from the beach and we go with no less than five people. Sometimes we even camp on the beach and park on the bridge all night.”
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