Durban minibus taxis released without permits after police impoundment

The 25 minibus taxis that were impounded by Durban metro police two weeks ago have now been released and will be allowed to operate on the city's streets without permits.

This decision marks a complete U-turn from the previous stance adopted by the metro police. They called the offending taxi operators to order for running their vehicles without the required permits, resulting in the impoundment of their vehicles.

The policing unit had maintained this position for much of last week and even stated that the affected operators should approach the courts for a reprieve.

In response, Durban's taxi operators staged a shutdown of their operations on Thursday, which had severe economic impacts on the city and caused discomfort for commuters.

The operators promised to continue their action on Friday, but a second day of shutdown was averted when senior officials from the eThekwini Municipality and KwaZulu-Natal's Department of Transport met with representatives from the taxi industry and made certain resolutions.

Zwelethu Cele, the secretary of the Pinetown Taxi Owners Association, confirmed the release of the 25 impounded vehicles and stated, "We have reached an amicable solution with the relevant government structures, and all our impounded taxis have been returned to their respective owners."

Cele also indicated that the concerns of taxi operators were addressed during the discussions. Among the primary issues raised were the alleged mistreatment of taxi drivers by enforcement authorities and the ongoing challenges related to the e-hailing system, especially for drivers lacking permits.

The latest resolution to release the impounded taxis did not sit well with e-hailing drivers, who perceived the move as evidence of double standards in law enforcement.

An Uber driver, opting to remain anonymous, said, “It’s funny how the same people who want us to have the necessary permits are not willing to subject themselves to the same rules as us. The officials are also unfair to allow taxi operators to operate without permits; what kind of precedent are they setting?”

Inquiries made by this publication to metro police spokesperson Boysie Zungu regarding the issue of taxis being allowed to operate without permits were redirected to the office of Transport MEC Siboniso Duma. Zungu stated that the MEC was best placed to answer such questions.

During a media briefing last week, MEC Duma announced that the taxi shutdown had ended, but he was yet to provide specific details on the resolutions taken, especially regarding the way forward for vehicles operating without permits.

Ndabezinhle Sibiya, spokesperson for the MEC, mentioned that a specialised team would be formed to address issues surrounding taxi impoundments and permits. 

However, he could not confirm whether the released taxis would be permitted to operate without the necessary documentation, stating that the department was awaiting the team’s report.

This was in contrast to Cele's assertions regarding the complete return of the taxis to their owners and that they would be operating as normal. "Taxis have been returned to owners, and they will be returning to work, thanks to the intervention of our South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) chairperson, Mathula Mkhize," Cele concluded.

DAILY NEWS