Taxi operators in Durban to halt services over permit issues

The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) has announced a two-day shutdown that will take place in Durban on Thursday and Friday.

The move will result in thousands of commuters, including workers and schoolchildren, being stranded on those days.

The organisation’s chairperson in KwaZulu-Natal, Mathula Mkhize, stated that the city's regional associations will meet to finalise the move after attempts to engage the municipality over the last two weeks failed.

"I'm sure we'll know the details by midday, but we are neither calling it a stay-away nor a strike," Mkhize explained. He emphasised that their stance is not a strike action but rather a stay-away.

"We cannot find any government leaders to listen to us,” lamented Mkhize.

He mentioned that the ongoing strike in KwaDabeka and Claremont, which began on Tuesday, is just the tip of the iceberg.

Last week, the Metro Police impounded 25 taxis in Clermont for operating without valid permits. The operation took place in "KK", KwaDabeka, following violence linked to a turf war with e-hailing drivers.

The impasse between the municipality and taxi operators stems from the metro's refusal to allow some taxis to operate on routes for which they do not have permits.

Metro police spokesperson Boysie Zungu told the Daily News yesterday that they would not allow taxis to operate without permits in the city. He stated that they met with the taxi association on Monday and were supposed to continue their discussion on Tuesday, but that meeting did not materialise.

"We are waiting for them (taxi operators) to come back to us," he said.

"We are assisting taxi operators who have received their receipts for the renewal of permits and those who have applied for new car registrations, which would differ in their permits due to the change of registration," he added.

DAILY NEWS