Trucks to have separate parking in Lilongwe
The Lilongwe City Council (LCC) has said it is currently planning to construct designated parking areas for trucks and advised truck drivers to park their vehicles in industrial areas where private developers offer such facilities.
LCC public relations officer Tamara Chafunya, in response to a questionnaire, said trucks are not supposed to drive through, let alone park in residential areas as this leads to the quick deterioration of roads because they are not designed for heavy trucks.
Chafunya said residential roads are not meant for trucks as they are designed for lighter vehicles, and the council, using the Town and Country Planning Act as well as related acts such as the Public Health and Safety, Road Traffic Act, has the mandate to regulate the tonnage of trucks accessing residential areas.
This comes after people in residential areas complained that trucks are parked along their roads thus creating visibility and mobility problems.
“We are currently developing parking standards. There are some emerging issues in the transportation sector that were overlooked during initial planning. That’s why, we are planning for truck parking areas,” reads part of the response.
She added that trucks cause noise and air pollution which is not healthy for people.
Chafunya further said LCC gives penalties to truck owners who do not follow the by-laws, which include towing such trucks form the residential areas. The owners pay for towing charges, storage charges, Security details and any other costs incurred during the towing exercise.
Some of the residents in the areas where trucks are seen parked said this illegal parking can cause accidents.
“We are appealing to truck drivers in our areas to be parking their vehicles in their offices and not on the streets. To us we see that they do it to show off and these vehicles cause road deterioration which affects us,” said the residents.
