Following a peaceful march by the ATDF ASA to Mooi River police station on Sunday to hand over a memorandum of demands for safety for drivers, the Station Commander Lt Col R.J.Britz has responded, and there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Speaking to SA Trucker, ATDF ASA Secretary-General Sfiso Nyathi said the organisation ended up only sending ten members to submit the memorandum.
“We received information that the local community wanted to join the march but we feared we could end up not being able to control them, so we picked ten members who went and met up with the police commander,” he said.
Earlier today, Lt Col. Britz emailed ATDF ASA acknowledging the memorandum and said that he has submitted it to the provincial office where they would a make feasible study for the establishment of a satellite station.
Lt Col. Britz also promised to increase patrols, especially during the night. He said that a copy of the memorandum was also forwarded to N3 Toll Concession.
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“It’s promising because we already have a response, if at least they could put a satellite station at the toll gate we will be safe,” he added.
ATDF ASA is spearheading a campaign for the safety of truck drivers who continue to fall prey to robbers on N3 in the Mooi River area.
Nyathi said that the police needed to understand that their statistics were not a true resemblance of what was on the ground saying that many people were not able to register their cases because they can’t reach the police station.
There were calls from other sectors of the public to have the Mooi River toll gate to be removed or moved to another location but nothing has materialised yet.
If the SAPS succeeds in pitching up a satellite station at the toll gate, motorists will certainly feel much safer.
Truck drivers and motorists alike, are attacked when they stop to relieve themselves or when the toll gate is congested.
Here are a few cases of drivers being attacked at Mooi River SA Trucker reported:
Watch: Robbers filmed attacking truck driver at Mooi River
Video: Police save driver from a fiery death at hands of the Mooi River mob
Truck Driver Shot And Robbed After Stopping To Relieve Himself Near Mooi River Toll Gate
