Bus spray painting furore
A BUS spray painting and mechanics business has caused tension between its owner and his neighbours of Rasdashan Road.
For more than 20 years, Clayton Chetty has been running his business despite mounting pressure from his neighbours who want him to relocate.
The panelbeater also owns a fleet of six buses.
Residents said he was operating illegally and causing a disturbance.
They alleged Chetty used the municipal property illegally and built a manhole for using municipal water for his business without consent from the city.
“Since 2008, we have been fighting for our right to live in peace. But Chetty does not want to co-operate, he wants to fight instead. Daily we have to tolerate fumes when he sprays his buses, the noise from the compressor is unbearable.
“I cannot remember when last we had a peaceful night,” said a livid neighbour Prithviraj Sewpersad, who has been lodging complaints regularly for the past few years.
In 2015, eight residents signed a petition against Chetty’s business.
Metro police has issued several warning notices since 2004 stating his business was illegal.
Residents stressed that despite the notices, the problem remains.
The recent notice dated March 4 stated: “It has been noticed that you are illegally occupying and trading on council property. This is a contravention of the general by-laws 4.11 and 2.3.1 and you will be fined and action will be taken against you if not declared within seven days.”
But when City Watch visited this week, Chetty was still operating.
Another resident, Mumcy John, said Chetty would rev up the bus in the early hours and disturb them while they were resting. “We are not against his business, but this is a residential area. We cannot allow such business to affect our lives.
“We want justice to be served, his business is operating illegally. He must find another place where it is suitable to do his business.we deserve to live in peace like other residents”, said John.
When Chetty was asked about the notice and his neighbour’s complaints he said, “They are being spiteful and jealous. I am not causing any nuisance. Instead, I keep this municipal area safe and clean. They called experts from the city department and they saw I was doing nothing wrong.
“I will take legal action against them because of them tampering with my business. I don’t mind what’s happening outside my boundaries, so they should not.”
He disputed that his spray painting was causing fumes. “There are no fumes, my family lives here, we never experience such. The fumes just disappear in the air.”
The city had not responded to questions by the time of going to press.