Residents turn to the protector

FED-UP residents living on a street in Phoenix have approached the public protector’s office for help in dealing with illegal trucking and other backyard businesses that have sprung up in their neighbourhood.

Rueford Avenue residents have complained about the constant noise of heavy-duty vehicles from three trucking companies operating “illegally” on the street.

Rubble dumped in vacant plots on the street, and dust and noise pollution are some of the nuisance factors they say they have to contend with.

The residents are disgruntled about a car repair business that also operates on the street.

Having exhausted various avenues, including the ethekwini Municipality, to have the challenges addressed, the residents have now called on the public protector to intervene.

“The city continuously turns a blind eye to what is happening in our neighbourhood. We have since written to the public protector,” says Mano Appana, a community representative.

She claims that truck owners are renting homes on Rueford Avenue, where they park heavy-duty vehicles, which is a violation of the by-laws.

“Our big concern now is the truck owners using public spaces to dump their rubble, which raises dust.

“The area is currently zoned as residential. But the businesses operating here are doing so without the required approval from the city,” Appana claims.

She says the trucks cause excessive noise pollution.

“They start working in the early hours and constantly move in and out of our area.

“Some of our the people living on our street are elderly and asthmatic.

“Being exposed to the dust could worsen their health condition,” she says.

Another resident, Elsie Naicker, claims that people are encouraged to run businesses illegally on their street because the metro police and other city officials by-laws.

“Some people are running a car repair business on this do not enforce the People affected by trucking businesses in their neighbourhood have turned to the public protector for help. street and they dump their rubbish on verges and into yards of some residents. Our road has turned to be an industrial area,” she says.

When City Watch visited the area, rubble could be seen strewn in open spaces on the street.

A truck owner operating on Rueford Avenue, who spoke on condition of anonymity, says while the area might not be zoned business, he cannot understand why he is being singled out because he is not selling anything illegal.

“I don’t make a noise or cause any disturbances. This is just hatred because my vehicles have been vandalised previously,” he says.

Ward councillor Tino Pillay says this issue of illegal businesses on Rueford Avenue had been raised with him and he had escalated it to the city’s land use management department to investigate.

“I have also sent an e-mail to the municipality building inspectorate and business licensing departments, requesting urgent intervention. It seems like the relevant officials are dragging their heels.

“They have not been to the street to see firsthand what was happening there. I have been told that the matter was in court,” he says.

About the dumping of rubble, Pillay says the parks department has leased a portion of the land to some residents to be used as a tennis court, and the rubble was going to be used for the construction of the court.

ethekwini Municipality officials had not responded by the time of going to print.