Toll vendors, an unsolved problem

Litchi season has arrived and with it a huge increase in the number of vendors illegally selling their wares at car windows.

Locals have expressed their dissatisfaction with the vendors operating in the road at the Umvoti Toll Plaza, saying that it is a safety hazard. In a Facebook poll recently, about 80% of Courier readers said they did not want vendors to operate there.

The South African National Roads Agency’s Kersen Naidoo said vendors are not allowed to do business in the lanes at the toll. However they rely on the enforcement authorities – police and traffic police – to deter trading in and around the plaza area. While the toll plaza has its own security guards, they still rely on the assistance of the authorities.

“We have had numerous engagements with the local community, municipality, enforcement authorities and other relevant stakeholders to find a solution to address the problem. These engagements still continue, and we hope that these parties can assist SANRAL in resolving the matter,” said Naidoo.

However KwaDukuza municipality spokesperson Sifiso Zulu said the N2 is a national road and therefore was not within the municipality’s jurisdiction.

“Any enforcement that KDM can do on the national or provincial road is regulated by legislation governing road traffic management. KDM traffic vehicles have no permits to go through the tollgate without paying. Also, KDM traffic and crime prevention do not patrol the N2,” said Zulu.

KDM council speaker Thulani Khuluse said there had been meetings with the plaza management a few years ago, but not recently.

“There is a market by the plaza and those people should be using it. Some do and some don’t, but they are not supposed to be on the road,” said Khuluse.

Interviewed this week, vendors told the Courier they knew that they were not allowed to do business on the road, but said they had no choice. They needed the money.

Litchi seller Sifiso “Chakalaka” Shezi, who has been selling at the plaza for the past five years, said they got their litchis at either the Litchi Orchard, Umhlali or from truck drivers carrying litchis.

“KwaDukuza SAPS are the ones troubling us. Sometimes they come and arrest us. Sometimes we run away and they will take away our litchis,” said Shezi.

Shezi said they are not stealing from anyone but they are treated as criminals by motorists. However some were friendly and supportive.

The vendors live near the plaza in the Thembeni area. They say the market space allocated to them was too small, so they prefer to be in the lanes.

They said they knew what they did was dangerous, but they were not prepared to stop.

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