Residents and retailers are frustrated with the number of heavy vehicles using Balclutha's main street instead of the town's heavy-traffic bypasses, and by what they say is a lack of enforcement of the council's bypass bylaw.
Beverly and Bruce Keith have lived in their main street (Clyde St) home for five years and are frustrated by the lack of enforcement of the bylaw requiring heavy traffic to use the north and south bypasses through Charlotte St and James St respectively.
"Legitimate business we have no issue with. It is the other trucks, some of which double-park outside Subway to grab lunch," Mrs Keith said.
In 2010 the Keiths installed a camera to record the number of vehicles using Clyde St. They collected data from 10pm to 8am for eight days. It showed more than 200 heavy vehicles used the main street between 4am and 6am in the period.
Mr Keith said he approached the council with a petition signed by 56 residents and business owners who were concerned about heavy traffic using Clyde St, but was told the issue would be considered as part of the traffic management strategy.
Clutha District Council planning and environment manager Murray Brass said the Heavy Traffic Bypass signs at the north and south ends of Clyde St had red borders, which indicated it was mandatory for heavy traffic to use the bypass routes. Heavy vehicles were allowed to use the main street for legitimate reasons including deliveries and refuelling.
Mr Brass said the bylaw was introduced by the Balclutha Borough Council more than 20 years ago.
It was created to reduce traffic congestion in Clyde St, and could be enforced by the council through the court process, or by police.
Clyde St retailer Robin Duff said heavy vehicles ignoring the bypass route in favour of the main street had been an issue for years.
"It seems to be happening more and more often - sometimes during the busiest times of the day - and sometimes they seem to be travelling quiet fast."
Mr Duff agreed that the bylaw needed to be enforced more strictly.
Mr Brass said the council had received complaints from residents and retailers about breaches of the bylaw, and said they received a petition in 2010.
He said the council was working through decisions on the future of the main traffic routes through Balclutha, and said the bypass issue was being considered as part of that process.
Senior Constable Tom Taylor, who is also the community constable, said the police regularly received complaints that heavy motor vehicles were using the main street instead of the bypass.
"At times this is happening during the middle of the business day. That is when we get comments from the shopkeepers," he said.
Snr Const Taylor said some offending "truckies" spoken to by police about failing to use the bypass said they thought the bypass was optional, not mandatory.
Other truck drivers had told police they thought they were allowed to use the main street after 9pm, during the weekends, or before 8am.
Snr Const Taylor said the fine was $750 and could be enforced by police.
However he said he was aware some drivers of heavy vehicles might not be aware the bypass was mandatory and believed education and publicity surrounding the bylaw would reduce the number of trucks using the main street.
"We don't want to give truckies a hard time; we just want them to follow the rules," Mrs Keith said.
