WATCH: Truck nightmare continues for city motorists

It was complete mayhem for motorists travelling on the John Ross highway and N2 over the weekend as hundreds of trucks once again queued to gain access to the Port of Richards Bay.

The chaos was reportedly caused by the permanent closure of the port’s permit office, forcing truckers to now secure their permits electronically.

The change in procedure saw trucks stretching for about 5km, blocking farms along the N2. A similar queue was observed on the John Ross, forcing other motorists to navigate among the heavy vehicles.

Frustrated with the situation, one city resident said, “So we now sit with an absolute mess. We are trapped on our farms and can’t get out or in without having to fight our way into traffic, putting our lives at risk each time.”

City of uMhlathuze traffic officers were deployed to manage the congestion and ensure traffic flow.

Deputy Mayor Christo Botha said they have been engaging with Transnet to address the current situation.

“The traffic department was able to manage the situation but our goal remains the same: we want to reduce the number of trucks queuing on our roads. Through the staging facility, we had begun to see a major improvement.

“We, therefore, hope this current issue will be quickly resolved and we can avoid the situation experienced over the weekend,” said Botha.

Don’t have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here:

HAVE YOUR SAY