Informal mechanics in Dawn set example
Work can be done without encroaching on neighbours, street
You would think that you could conduct your business without worrying about the rules in Buffalo City Metro because of the general lawlessness I have picked up in the past two months or so through my walkabouts.
But some people do respect the bylaws, as I found in the suburb of Dawn and in Nelson Avenue in Cambridge.
Perhaps they could give a lesson or two to informal mechanics on how to conduct business.
In Dawn, the vehicles were in two yards next to each other, separated by a wall. The mechanics were all working inside — can you believe it? And the grass was cut outside! Absolutely exemplary.
There were no broken-down vehicles outside the yard. There were only two or three I assume were ready for collection.
In Cambridge I saw only one vehicle in for repairs. And only because the green shadecloth flew up, revealing the vehicle in the garage. There were no cars outside.
In the Chiselhurst-cambridge area on Flemmer Road, I was attracted by the three cars parked outside the yard.
One Volvo XC90 looked liked it had been there for aeons, with grass growing under it and on the sides. Or it was parked on top of the mid-calf grass? Who knows? It still looked untidy.
Thankfully, all other cars were inside the yard, though from a quick inspection, some looked as though they had been sitting dormant for a while. Big yards equal big storage space.
On Google Maps an image captured in October 2014 offers a street view of the corners of Carnovan and Smith streets it seems a breakdown business was the order of the day.
On Wednesday, some changes had occurred but not too many. Broken-down vehicles are a sore sight and, frankly, the better days are behind some of them. I saw five in total.
Some had plastic covering the windscreen as a protective device and a ghastly car frame. It was reminiscent of those wire cars boys grew up making back in the 1990s in my township.
This one’s tyres were intact, but the steering wheel was lying sadly on the grass. I couldn’t make out the model but it definitely was a bakkie.
In December when I visited Quigney I came across one informal mechanic and a panelbeating business. I guess business is still booming there.
The informal mechanic in Longfellow Street went about his business without a care in the world. A client was there with a white VW Citi Golf with the hood open. A VW Polo in dire need of panelbeating and a right fender stood near the man’s gate.
Two cars that had come in for a tune-up hogged the parking opposite his house. At least, they looked mobile.
There was slightly less mechanical mayhem than my last visit but the broken-down VW Jetta that was there in December was still there. It has no tyres and sits on four rocks.
This time the informal mechanic wasn’t taking up his neighbour’s space. It’s a slight improvement.
The panelbeating business on Tennyson Street is still operational. Cars still hog the parking on both sides of the street. We can only hope that there’s enough space for all of them to go into the yard once the day is done.
Except for some brokendown vehicles here and there in some suburbs in the metro, I’d say things are OK.
It’s a whole other ballgame in the townships, though.
Each week, the Dispatch conducts a walkabout of different areas of Buffalo City Metro. We gauge what's working and what's not, and through conversations with local residents, identify where needs are greatest. To have the Dispatch visit your area, contact Amanda Nano on amandan@dispatch.co.za.