Durban — Traffic in Durban was brought to a standstill in the early hours of Monday, when the industry caused major disruptions to gain the attention of the government.
Taxis were used to block important intersections in the Durban CBD and caused major travel disruptions.
The affected intersections were Sandile Thusi Road, Umgeni Road and the surrounding roads.
Protesters not only blocked the intersections but also burnt tyres and debris to voice their concerns, leaving most commuters who rely on public transportation stranded.
The incident was strongly condemned by the KwaZulu-Natal transport department and provincial police.
According to eThekwini’s metro police spokesperson Boysie Zungu, the protest erupted after the Durban Long-Distance Association sent a memorandum to KZN transport MEC Peggy Nkonyeni – stating their grievances about the impounding of their vehicles, their drivers getting arrested and not receiving their permits on time – without any response till to date.
“The issue here is that they feel ignored by Operation Shanela and they demand that their grievances be heard, as they feel it is affecting their workflow,” he said.
Operation Shanela, also known as the Public Transport Enforcement Unit (PTEU) is a provincial government programme which ensures that law enforcement relating to the taxi industry is tight. Zungu added that there were no reports of injuries and no shops broken into or looted during the protest.
The SA National Taxi Association (Santaco) said the organisation was working on a way to reach common ground as the drivers were feeling neglected by the department of transport.
Santaco spokesperson Sfiso Shangase said they were aware of the disturbance that the strike might have caused.
“We need to sit down and find a way forward, and also get the drivers’ grievances heard; we are willing to work tirelessly in ensuring peace within the taxi association,” he said. There were rumours that part of the reason for the strike was the rise of fuel prices. Shangase said to his knowledge it was the issue of the taxis being impounded and not getting their permits in time.
He said he had no knowledge of it being as a result of the fuel prices, but it can be an additional grievance, not that it was necessarily the reason behind Monday’s strike.
KZN Transport spokesperson Kwanele Ncalane said as the department they condemned the disruptions and threats of violence by taxi operators, who barricaded entry to the Durban CBD and “ultimately caused unacceptable havoc and traffic backlog”.
He said they felt the protest was nothing but an act of intimidation that will not stop them from applying the law without fear or favour.
“As far as we are concerned there is no dispute between us and the industry on the issue of operating licences.
“We have an open transparent relationship with the taxi industry and where there are matters of disagreement we have got joint forums meeting on a regular basis.
“The department is currently implementing the joint resolutions of the Provincial Taxi Indaba which was held in 2013, which prioritises industry stability and compliance.
“Operation Shanela has been repurposed and strengthened to be more effective against all forms of lawlessness in the taxi industry. It will therefore continue executing its work without any fear,” said Ncalane.
Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi also condemned the incident saying that it was unacceptable that taxi operators chose to inconvenience thousands of motorists to raise their grievances rather than using available channels to resolve their concerns.
Mkhwanazi warned “mischievous individuals” who continued to post videos of the initial blockades prior to police arriving on the scene to create an impression that the blockades were not attended to by any of the police agencies.
“We appeal to members of the public to refrain from circulating such videos as this will be playing into the hands of people who want to create unnecessary panic amongst the community,” said Mkhwanazi.
A taxi commuter, Nkosinathi Masombuka, said he was also affected by the strike as he struggled to get to work on time.
Tshingana Ndlovu, who is a resident in Durban, said “since the taxi industry has various associations under the auspices of Santaco, he wondered if the metro police engaged with the associations over various compliance matters or if they can simply just implement Operational Shanela without taking into account the reaction”.
Daily News