VIDEO: Light motorists fearful of trucks on Doreen Road
Help 24’s Michael van Staden told the publication that they’ve attended to at least two to three major truck incidents on Doreen Road this year.
Heavy-duty vehicles have made Doreen Road, Ruimsig unpleasant for drivers of light motor vehicles.
This notorious steep and curvy route is used by many motorists on a daily basis, most of them driving light vehicles. They now fear the sharing the road with heavy-duty trucks because of the number of serious incidents that they become involved in.
In the past two weeks, the Northsider has reported on two truck accidents on the road. One of them, in which a truck jack-knifed, caused damage to private property and blocked the road in both directions for some time.
Help 24’s Michael van Staden told the publication that they’ve attended to at least two to three major truck incidents on Doreen Road this year.
Also Read:
https://roodepoortnorthsider.co.za/285066/bakkie-overturns-on-doreen-road/
Besides the accidents, some trucks fail to make it up the hill, resulting in the closure of at least one lane.
The two questions asked by concerned motorists who’ve shared their stories with the Northsider are why does law enforcement continue to allow buses and trucks to use Doreen Road, and when will they prohibit them, as they pose a danger to other motorists.
The Northsider sought answers from the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) after uncertainty arose about the road signage prohibiting heavy vehicles along Doreen Road. JMPD’s Superintendent Wandile Mrubata came to our rescue by providing clarity about the use of the road by these vehicles.
He said that there is signage on the downhill side indicating that only trucks of five tons or less may use the road. He added that the JMPD can only act on trucks that exceed the stipulated weight.
Mrubata encouraged motorists to write letters to the provincial or national transport departments requesting a complete ban on trucks using the road. “They must give their reasons for wanting to prevent heavy trucks from using Doreen Road,” he said, reminding motorists that JMPD has no power to change road rules.
“JMPD cannot change anything, because we are regulated by the provincial government. We can only enforce a ruling if it is approved at national and provincial levels. And when that happens, trucks have to be provided with an alternative route in order to get to their destination if they mistakenly drive towards Doreen Road because making a U-turn would cause an unwanted traffic backlog,” he explained.
Share your thoughts on the matter in our comments section or send an email to sison@caxton.co.za.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at northsider@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
For free daily local news on the West Rand, also visit our sister newspaper websites
