Anyone driving or walking through the Randburg town centre lately knows the frustration.

E-hailing drivers are parking wherever they please, turning busy streets into an obstacle course. Despite efforts to stop it, the chaos continues to be a daily headache for locals.

Bea Campbell-Cloete, the stand-in Ward 102 councillor, shares the frustration of residents. She says she has been raising this issue constantly since December last year. It is a relentless battle, especially along Bram Fischer Drive, near the Randburg Civic Centre, and on Pretoria Avenue.

Read more: Sustained service delivery drive launched in Randburg

She notes that, in Pretoria Street, e-hailing cars are literally parking in the middle of the road, causing massive traffic jams. However, it is not that the authorities are ignoring the problem. During major service delivery drives by the city, traffic officers do step in.

They hand out fines and force the drivers to move on. The catch is that the moment the police leave, the drivers simply return. They know the authorities cannot be everywhere at once and that it takes time for officers to come back to the scene.

These drivers are openly breaking local by-laws and national traffic rules. As Campbell-Cloete points out, no one is allowed to park on pavements, on traffic islands, or right between lanes of traffic. Any parking that blocks cars, or people on foot, is strictly forbidden.

This exact cycle of illegal parking and fining has been happening over on Bond Street too.

Finding a lasting fix seems quite difficult. Because Bond Street falls under a different ward, it is not clear if a proper safety check has been done there, or if the city has even spoken to companies, like Bolt, about setting up a proper, off-street waiting area for their drivers.

Also read: E-hailing drivers park wherever they want in Ferndale

Bolt was asked to comment on the situation but has kept quiet so far.

Fortunately, there has not been any major damage to the roads or pavements on Bram Fischer Drive yet. However, the councillor notes that even if there was damage, getting the money back from the offenders would be nearly impossible.

Looking ahead, things do not seem likely to change soon. Campbell-Cloete admits that the city, and the local police, simply do not have the staff to watch these streets all day and night. She feels the only real way to stop the madness is through constant policing and impounding of vehicles.

Until then, people trying to navigate the area will just have to keep dodging the traffic and hoping for a safe journey.

Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration!