Mandara residents relentless in push to ban haulage trucks

Suburban Reporter

Mandara residents are not relenting in their fight to stop haulage trucks delivering bricks from using the suburb’s roads and further damaging the roads in the process.

Last Thursday, some residents closed the boom gates and blocked the trucks which transport bricks from a brick-making plant in the Chikurubi area from using Mandara roads to deliver the bricks to customers.

Residents were informed that when the boom gate was closed, the owners of the brick-making plant, YuDao Bricks, heard about it and immediately sent their operations manager to engage the residents. The operations manager requested that the residents allow the trucks to use Mandara roads for 10 days while the company makes an access road for the trucks through Chikurubi Farm.

A notice sent out to residents said they agreed in principle with the company’s proposal on condition they put it in writing and that they agree to fix the potholes on Pringle Road, Riverton Road, Wallis Road and Beeston Road. The residents asked the company to deliver the road repair materials before they could give their consent to the 10-day grace period.

YuDao Bricks immediately wrote the letter and promised to deliver the materials by Friday last week but had not done so by end of day on Good Friday. The company said it would seek permission from the Ministry of Transport.

“Following the complaints that came through to our attention regarding the use of Pringle Road by truck loads carrying bricks, we are however appealing to the residents of Mandara for YuDao Bricks to temporarily use Pringle Road for the next 10 days whilst we are constructing another road. We have been having meetings and applications that have been submitted to the Ministry of Transport and all relevant authorities to give us permission to proceed with the construction of the new road to be used by trucks. Your permission regarding this matter will greatly be appreciated and we hope to engage you as required to address all challenges around our nearby stakeholders,” wrote YuDao Bricks managing director Yin Tang.

But Mandara residents said the failure to deliver the materials showed the company had no intention to repair the roads in the suburb. The residents said they would go ahead and supply fuel to the City of Harare traffic section so that they start the operation to monitor if the haulage truck drivers were complying with the weight restriction signs put up on the roads recently. The residents funded the installation of the weight restriction signs.

The residents maintained that only when the company has delivered the road repair materials to the City of Harare, would they allow them to access the roads for the requested 10 days.

Some residents expressed concern that YuDao Bricks was not negotiating in good faith while others also said the way the letter was written on a piece of plain paper might not be binding in a court of law.

However, the discussion was told that the letter will hold in a court of law because it had the company’s stamp.

Residents were also told that the YuDao Bricks was already grading an access road in Chikurubi and once the alternative road is completed, they would lose their leverage to force the firm to repair the roads damaged by brick delivery trucks.

But some residents felt what had been done so far was notable progress although there was no guarantee the brick-making company was negotiating in good faith and residents had to remain united in fighting for the preservation of Mandara roads and the environment.

On Wednesday this week, the residents advised YuDao that with effect from Thursday they will be closing the boom gate at Pringle Road and Riverton Road for through traffic carrying cargo mainly bricks above the weight restriction because the brick maker was negotiating in bad faith.

The residents plan to hire a professional security company to control traffic at the boom gate because the police and municipal police’s availability to enforce the weight restrictions is not guaranteed.

Coordinators of the project appealed to residents to contribute towards hiring the security company.

Residents informed YuDao that their committee does not accept its request for a 10-day grace period and will stick to the five days initially agreed.