Long-distance passengers remain stranded in KwaZulu-Natal because of a standoff between the Durban Long Distance Taxi Association and the provincial Transport Department. | Tumi Pakkies/ Independent Newspapers
Durban — Commuters using the Durban Long Distance Taxi Association (DLDTA) to commute were left stranded while taxi owners disputed permit issues in Durban on Tuesday.
The “indefinite“ strike stems from grievances with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport public enforcement programme, Operation Shanela, which has been impounding minibus taxis in Durban.
This situation instigated taxi operators to block major intersections in the city, including Umgeni, Johannes Nkosi, and Mathews Meyiwa roads, resulting in traffic disruptions.
According to Durban metro police spokesperson Colonel Boysie Zungu, the operators engaged in a “peaceful strike,” with no reported damage to property.
The strike left passengers, like Siphamandla Msomi, stranded.
“I had hoped that this strike would have ended. It has inconvenienced many of us, including me,” Msomi said.
The MEC for Transport in KwaZulu-Natal Siboniso Duma said that long-distance drivers should get permits for their vehicles.
“This is an old issue. All the taxis ferrying the public should have the permits,” he said.
Duma said that the department will engage with the South African Taxi Association (Santaco) to resolve the matter, emphasising that the conflict was not one the department wished to have.
Duma confirmed that there are still 115 driving permits uncollected in Pietermaritzburg. However, operators maintain that the discrepancies in existing permits are what prevent them from collecting.
Within the ongoing stand-off, taxi operators argue that their decision not to collect permits is based on discrepancies regarding excluded routes that they have been servicing for years.
Mcabangeni Nala of the Durban Long Distance Taxi Association (DLDTA) said “Why would we not collect our permits when we have to pay R18 000 instalments every month for taxis that are not working but are impounded?”
The contention focuses on specific routes, including the Durban and District Taxi Association’s route to Pietermaritzburg, and the DLDTA’s route to Kranskop.
As the standoff continues, the eyes of the province remain keen on how the conflict will unfold, especially concerning the commuters left in the lurch as negotiations progress. The need for clarity, resolution, and above all, the restoration of taxi services looms ever more prominent.
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