It has hardly been a full year since Bains Kloof Pass opened for all traffic after two-year-long renovations to this historic mountain thoroughfare, and already a total of 29 trucks have got stuck in its narrow perimeters-cum-parameters.
“There’s actually one that got stuck now (Monday), around 14:50. They’re busy turning it around to get the truck out again as we speak,” a hopelessly frustrated resident of the area, Andy Connell, said.
He believed not nearly enough was being done by the Department of Transport and Public Works to curb the volume of trucks venturing illegally through the pass.
“Nobody seems to care that this newly restored historic pass is being damaged each time a massive abnormal vehicle gets stuck,” complains Connell. “Rocks are falling apart, slopes and rind stones are being damaged and numerous traffic signs have been ruined.
“There does not seem to be any repercussions for the drivers or owners of these vehicles illegally daring this pass. Traffic officers do not issue fines, for fear of poor drivers getting fired, while most drivers give Google Maps as an excuse for driving in this direction.”
But according to previous feedback from the department’s spokesperson, Jandré Bakker, in September 2022, incidents in which trucks get stuck and cause damage on Bains Kloof Pass have been few and far between.
Paarl Post sent follow-up enquiries about damages caused since then. But no feedback had been received at the time of going to print.
What adds to Connell’s frustration are other illegal activities on the pass, such as vagrants setting up camp and making fire in the reserve, which contributes to risks of mountain fires that commonly sweep the valley.
“If one complains about it to the Cape Winelands Fire Services they say it’s CapeNature’s baby. But CapeNature, in turn, refers one back to Cape Winelands. So who exactly is in charge here?”
