Residents in Umbilo and surrounding areas in Durban are voicing deep frustration over the growing issue of truck congestion, citing significant impacts on their quality of life, property values, and local businesses.

Jonathan Erasmus, from the Umbilo South Association and member of the CPF, said trucking has been a significant issue in this part of Durban and has increased tenfold since the rails collapsed.

He said that when there is congestion on Umbilo Road, the traffic automatically starts filtering through Bartle Road, which is the main road in Umbilo.

“When we’ve got heavy congestion, I can count up to about 24 trucks coming past my house in a given day. That’s a significant amount for a residential road,” he said.

Erasmus said trucks are incredibly destructive vehicles that break the trees and paving.

He said Hillier Road by Queensmead Mall, which T-junctions with Bartle Road, has a serious problem with trucks.

The road is often congested with trucks parked on both sides, blocking the entire area. Many of these trucks carry flammable substances like fuel and Liquefied Petroleum Gas.

“People who live right there can’t exit their properties and there are properties that have devalued significantly,” said Erasmus.

He said the drivers stop to get food and other necessities, however, as a result, the crime in the area has increased as truck batteries, among other things, are stolen.

Erasmus said despite years of lobbying by the CPF and Umbilo South Association, Metro Police have only recently increased ticketing for trucks in the area, offering a temporary “plaster” solution to persistent congestion.

Residents of a housing complex for servicemen are experiencing significant noise disturbances, according to Erasmus.

“The people staying there can’t even hear themselves. They have to wait until 10.30pm at night to go to bed because of the trucks; they just can’t sleep. It’s just so loud. They keep their windows closed.”

In addition, Erasmus said residents have also complained about the constant vibrations affecting the beams of their alarm systems, which continuously go off when trucks are nearby.

“This heightens the level of danger; it heightens the level of something going wrong,” he said. 

Doran Subiah of the Umbilo Business Association (UBA) said residents are now trying to push back.

“Enough is enough. We would like attention to this issue and restore this area,” he said.

Subiah highlighted the direct impact of port truck congestion on Umbilo, specifically affecting businesses and the wider communities of Glenwood and Glenmore.

When the port experiences problems, trucks have nowhere to go, leading to significant disruption in these areas.

“They come filtering into the area to offload, and Transnet closes the gate,” he said.

Subiah highlighted the inadequacy of the port’s infrastructure, stating that a port of its magnitude, being the busiest in South Africa, should ideally have five gates.

Trucks are now backing up into the Umbilo area, seeking parking, he said, adding that this leads to lanes filling up, affecting business and residential areas just a few roads away.

Subiah said the stormwater system is also being damaged when the manhole covers are crushed.

He explained that when storms occur, which have been happening more frequently due to dramatic weather changes, blocked or partially blocked stormwater drains become a significant issue.

As Umbilo is situated slightly below sea level, stormwater rushes towards the harbour and then either surges back or is unable to drain, leading to flooding.

“It floods our businesses, and straight away the impact is damaged infrastructure and damage to our businesses, and even personally, myself, we on Sydney Road. I’ve had that event a few times,” said Subiah.

Subiah said he has witnessed the transformative changes within the Umbilo area since he arrived as a student in 1997.

“I got to see the communities and how things have changed over the years, and it’s been quite something, but to see degradation in infrastructure, to see the darkness come, literally and figuratively, has been heartbreaking,” he said.

Gail Richards, a resident of Umbilo for 25 years, highlighted several environmental concerns.

She noted that exhaust fumes from trucks contribute to pollution and that noise pollution is a significant problem, particularly when a port lockdown causes trucks to become blocked on Umbilo Road.

“On a normal day, at 3.30am in the morning, you might hear the first truck starting up. So that normally wakes you up and that’s when the noise starts…particularly the smell, the exhaust fumes, they’re awful sometimes in that area,” said Richards.

Heather Roos from the Glenwood Bulwer Ratepayers Association said that for a number of years, many big trucks and trailers got stuck on the tollgate bridge.

“They’ve gone into residence walls. They’ve got stuck and caused traffic jams and caused so many accidents,” she said.

Roos recently noted an increase in truck traffic on Esther Roberts Road, with drivers parking to frequent local brothels, urinating on residential walls, and discarding their trash where they park.

“It’s just becoming a real problem for the residents living there,” said Roos.

She issued a warning that the numerous sinkholes that have appeared on Esther Roberts Road, located in a bustling residential area with schools, are not suitable for truck traffic.

She highlighted that the traffic congestion also affects access to major hospitals such as St Augustine and Entabeni Hospital, both located near Tollgate Bridge.

“Something has to be done before we really have a truck roll back over many vehicles; we’ve had that happen before,” said Roos, adding that many truck drivers do not stick to the speed limit in these built-up areas, which are also on the bus route.

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Erasmus believes more needs to be done than just ticketing trucks.

He highlighted the fact that petitioning Google to reschedule its maps, putting up signs, and fighting the port expansion would not help. The port’s continuous expansion means there is always going to be conflict, and the core issue will not be effectively tackled.

“We actually need to implement a licensing type of system and fining system for trucks that come into these areas,” he said.

The area needs to be designated a no-truck zone where trucking companies must apply to the city for a licence to go into the residential areas, he said.

Erasmus said should truck drivers deviate from their designated routes, they must be held accountable. 

The onus is on drivers to be aware of their GPS directions. If found to be operating without the proper licence, substantial fines should be levied. The most impactful penalty for a trucking company would be the impoundment of their vehicles.

“If the city just starts clamping trucks that are parked in or moving in residential areas, the problem will very quickly dissipate, because trucking companies have hugely expensive assets, and they need to move to make money,” said Erasmus.

Erasmus said there’s a lack of leadership and a lack of will to really address the problem head-on.

“Otherwise, what’s going to happen in the Umbilo and Glenwood area is going to look like Clearwood in 15 years. Sea View is really looking buggered. I mean, there’s trucking yards all over the place there now, and that’s essentially what’s going to happen,” he said.

He emphasised the diminishing options for residents to live near their workplaces, as they are continually displaced from suitable areas.

Subiah said they are not opposed to business, trucking, or development; he said, in fact, “we welcome it.”

“However, we believe there are better ways to administer and execute these operations. Currently, businesses are given too much leeway, and we know solutions exist to improve the process.”

He said truck congestion creates significant choke points, discouraging customers from entering the area. When trucks are present, cars often make U-turns and leave.

“We try to get out; my staff try to get out. Buses, taxis all come; sometimes it crawls down to one lane…Once, it took me 45 minutes to drive 500 metres,” said Subiah.

According to Subiah, the City and Transnet are aware of these issues, but there is no “appetite” for the implementation of good plans.

“We can do it; the UBA has come up with an idea to take 20 trucks off Sydney Road,” he said, adding that it is still going through City processes.

Bryan Ashe, speaking on behalf of the Manor Gardens  Ratepayers said the impact of unchecked heavy trucking is no longer isolated to the port or industrial areas; it is impacting our neighbourhoods.

“We are calling for responsible logistics planning, stronger enforcement, and meaningful community involvement in all port expansion decisions…We don’t need more trucks on our roads, but solutions like rail can reduce the impacts experienced by residents,” he said.

Have thoughts on this topic or other subjects you’d like us to explore? Want to share your experiences? Reach out to me at karen.singh@inl.co.za – I’d love to hear from you!

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