Trolley pushers problem unresolved

The growing presence of trolley pushers on busy roads in Pretoria east has raised safety concerns among residents, councillors and private security companies.

Andrea Jordaan, a local resident, said the situation becomes especially dangerous at night when trolley pushers are nearly invisible to motorists.

“We have to constantly swerve for them, especially on dark roads.

“They’re not just a danger to us but also to themselves. One wrong move and you could hit them or veer into oncoming traffic,” Jordaan said.

While the sight of men hauling large bags of recyclable waste has become increasingly common, it’s also caused a debate around their role in the community regarding safety and cleanliness.

Ward 82 Councillor Siobhan Muller acknowledged the issue, saying, “Trolley pushers are always a problem, and we get complaints from residents”.

She explained some community members associate them with criminal activity.

Muller noted that some have been caught in possession of stolen goods.

“They do the recycling we need. If residents were recycling themselves, there would not be a need for recyclers,” Muller said.

She added that she understands that many trolley pushers earn a minimal income to support their families.

However, Muller admitted that frustrations persist, especially around the disorder some recyclers leave behind.

“The complaints are mostly about crime, security, and the mess that some trolley pushers leave when they go.

“If they would simply tidy up the sidewalk, many people would stop complaining,” she said.

According to Muller, efforts to address the issue have been hampered by limited enforcement capacity.

She referred to ongoing problems at known hotspots, such as Solomon Mahlangu Drive near the R21, where trolley pushers often gather in large groups.

“TMPD say they can do nothing unless they catch them in the act. Even when we call repeatedly, the response is minimal,” Muller said.

She also raised concern about two recyclers who frequently park their overloaded trolleys at the corner of Mackenzie and 13th streets, creating dangerous blind spots for drivers.

“I have repeatedly reported the problem, and TMPD did little to take action,” Muller said.

Beyond traffic concerns, there’s also evidence of theft linked to the informal recycling trade.

“I have personally seen and stopped several of them stealing dustbins, which they use to collect recyclables.

“In Ward 82, we’ve caught a few with stolen items hidden at the bottom of their recycling,” Muller added.

Gerhard Rossouw, operations manager at CSI Security, said his team regularly encounters issues caused by trolley pushers, particularly during high-pressure response calls.

“When we’re rushing to respond to an alarm, we often find ourselves stuck behind them, waiting while they slowly drag their trolleys off the road,” Rossouw explained.

to Rossouw, the materials they are carrying sometimes literally spill into residential areas.

“They dump rubbish everywhere, and we often have to force them to pick it up. It’s a major problem,” he said.

While Rossouw acknowledged that “everybody has to make a living”, he suggested that the metro could help reduce the disruption by designating proper collection points for informal recyclers.

“If the metro can put up stand-off points for them to work from, maybe we’ll see less of them in the middle of traffic,” he said.

He also warned that the presence of trolley pushers in unexpected areas adds another layer of difficulty in distinguishing recyclers from potential criminals.

“They’re out during peak hours when we need to be most alert. It’s hard to tell whether someone is just recycling or scouting out an area,” Rossouw said.

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