EMPTY ranks and commuters stranded is how the day started on Thursday in Durban where Santaco, eThekwini Metro and the Department of Transport are meeting behind closed doors to negotiate an end to the ongoing taxi strike.

The two-day strike was announced by Santaco amid a stalemate over the impounding of 25 taxis belonging to the Clermont and KwaDabeka taxi association by Metro Police last week. Mathuli Mkhize, who leads the eThekwini Metro Taxi Council, said taxis were not going to be operational on Thursday and Friday until the issue of permits was resolved and the matter e-hailing transport regulation is discussed.

@caxtonlocalmedia Empty ranks and commuters stranded is how the day started in Durban on Thursday where Santaco, the eThekwini Metro and the Department of Transport are meeting behind closed doors to negotiate the end to the ongoing taxi strike. #bereamail #taxistrike #taxistrikedurban #durbannews ♬ original sound – caxtonlocalmedia

To prevent a city-wide taxi shutdown eThekwini Municipality Mayor Cyril Xaba convened an urgent meeting with key stakeholders in the taxi industry. The engagement brought together the leadership of the eThekwini Metro Taxi Council, City Manager Musa Mbhele, senior officials from the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport, and councillors representing Clermont and KwaDabeka.

While negotiations continued late last night and at the crack of dawn, with no end in sight for the stalemate, commuters like Saneliwe Myeni managed to make their way to the Durban CBD without finding regular transport to work.

Also Read: Workers paying the price for Clermont and KwaDabeka taxi strike

Using buses to get to Durban from Mbumbulu, Myeni said, “I had to find a way to get to work. It was important for me to be there today.”

Connecting from Mbumbulu to Isipingo where she caught the Durban Transport bus to the CBD, Myeni said e-hailing was not an option.

“Apart from the safety and taxi owners keeping a watchful eye on the routes, the price shot up. A trip that I would have paid R60 for was now R170 which is unaffordable. I hope that this strike is resolved soon because we cannot go on like this.”

A vendor, who sells his refreshments to commuters at the Umlazi taxi rank, said business was slow. “I am considering going home and its 09:00. I won’t be making any money today,” he said.

In the interest of public safety and service continuity, Xaba and KZN Transport MEC Siboniso Duma have appealed to taxi leadership to suspend the planned strike and resume operations in Clermont and KwaDabeka. “We remain steadfast in our support for the taxi industry and are committed to implementing the resolutions of this meeting, which I will also convey to Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy,” said Mayor Xaba.

By 11:00 there was still no word on the taxi strike being called off.

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