Malakia Primary School’s management is calling on Juba City Council authorities to secure a suitable parking area for large trucks currently stationed near the school premises. The appeal comes in the wake of a recent incident on Monday afternoon when a truck knocked down the school’s wall fence, resulting in damage to the school store.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Monday, Awadia Zafanya, the Head Teacher of Malakia Primary School, said that they have repeatedly brought the issue to the attention of Juba City Council authorities and the traffic police. Despite their complaints, no action has been taken, and the recent accident underscores the urgency of relocating the trucks.
Awadia emphasized the potential severity of the incident, noting, “There was an accident here, and if not for a car parked on the other side that stopped, the truck could have collided with homes and caused significant harm. We thank God that it only struck the school store, resulting in relatively minor damages.”
“We have repeatedly complained about trucks parking near the school. The school fence was once crashed, and thankfully, nobody was injured. Our school children used to sit in that area, but I have now stopped them,” stated Awadia.
“We have written numerous letters to the authorities, urging them to relocate these trucks from the vicinity of the school. The presence of the trucks near the school is inappropriate, and we are unsure about the progress of our appeals. We have written to the Director of Traffic, but there has been no follow-up,” she expressed.
Abdul Bagi Abdallah Azziz, Chairperson of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) for Malakia Primary School, emphasized that this is the third time such accidents have occurred. He called on authorities to identify a suitable parking place for the trucks.
“The large truck parked near the school, knocking into the school store. This marks the third occurrence of such accidents. The first incident involved a child being run over by a big truck, the second hit the fence, and now the third has damaged the school store,” explained Azziz.
“I am urging authorities to designate a suitable parking area for these big trucks to prevent frequent accidents at Malakia Primary School,” he emphasized.
Dominic Andrea Akuei, a resident of Malakia, recounted the recent incident involving a truck colliding with the school fence. “Around midday, I parked my car next to the gate. Before I could even lock the car, I saw another car approaching at a very high speed. I immediately got out of the car and ran, and the truck hit the car before colliding with the school store.”
“In this area, many people are going about their normal businesses. This incident could have caused numerous casualties. As a resident, whenever I see trucks stopping, I advise them to leave. However, they often perceive it as noise without recognizing the potential danger,” he expressed.
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