Long distance taxi commuters were left stranded at the Durban Station Taxi Rank after taxi operators downed their tools. | Tumi Pakkies/ Independent Newspapers.
Durban — Other KwaZulu-Natal long-distance taxi associations have disputed the Durban Long Distance Taxi Association’s claims that the government was failing to issue permits.
Various associations met with Premier Thami Ntuli and Transport MEC Siboniso Duma to resolve the week-long taxi strike that has left thousands of commuters stranded throughout the province.
Speaking at the meeting in Pietermaritzburg, a member of the association from the Ladysmith publicly distanced other associations from the strike. He said there was no consultation with them and it was the Durban Long Distance Taxi Association that was complaining about the unavailability of permits.
The member said as far as he knew, the province has never had issues with permits, and KZN is leading in the prompt issuance of permits compared to other provinces.
“I think the Durban Long Distance Taxi Association has another problem that we do not know of, not the permits because the province is leading in issuing permits to taxi owners. It was Gauteng that delayed in issuing us with permits, not KwaZulu-Natal. The problem is that our colleagues from the Durban Station did not consult us before embarking on a strike,” said the member.
Taxi operators particularly from the Durban taxi rank have been at loggerheads with the government over permits. However, the transport department has been saying that permits were available for collection, and the striking taxi owners have been insisting that there are no permits, accusing Duma of lying to the public.
This angered Duma who vowed to crack down on striking members since they were blocking major routes including the N2 and the N3.
The government was expected to issue a statement on what the parties agreed upon as a way forward.
Fearing the economic and social instability, Ntuli called a special meeting in a bid to find a solution between the government and taxi bosses, expressing his concern about the impasse which had disrupted transport services across the province.
Ntuli’s intervention came amid fears of violent confrontations between the defiant taxi operators and police following the announcement of a crackdown by the provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and Duma, who vowed to deal harshly with the wayward behaviour of taxi owners who had blocked major routes including the N3 on Monday and Tuesday. Duma warned the association’s bosses that he would not allow them to compromise the entire industry due to their refusal to adhere to the rule of law.
Duma said their consistent refusal to collect their permits and insistence that they were not available, was becoming a problem and he would no longer tolerate it.
Taxi drivers downed keys on Friday after receiving instructions from their bosses, leaving thousands of commuters stranded. The association said their halting of the operations stemmed from the MEC’s refusal to suspend the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) unit, known as Operation Shanela, which is known for “sweeping up” all unroadworthy taxis off the roads.
Another demand turned down by Duma was the release of impounded taxis, which he said was a legal process that he would not interfere with.
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