THE piles of logs regularly seen on pavements in Alton are evidence of an ongoing scam by truck drivers delivering timber to Richards Bay mills.
That’s the view of a businessman who has been observing the phenomena over a period of many months.
‘From what I can deduce, these timber trucks which come from hinterland areas like Vryheid are deliberately overloaded with logs.
‘Since they know they will be denied access at premises when being tested at weighbridges, they dump a sizeable quantity of logs at specific points in Alton,’ says the businessman.
‘These are generally side streets just off the main roads.
‘And it doesn’t take long before the logs are claimed and loaded onto other trucks – presumably by prior arrangement.
‘Whether the wood is used by private people or collected and delivered to the woodchip mills, I don’t know.’
The businessman has observed specific trucks gathering the discarded timber, giving credence to his belief that this is an ongoing and lucrative scam.
