Council confirms removal of new taxi rank
Mogale City confirmed it had given taxi union marching orders after they created a new rank on privately-owned land.
Residents have been up in arms over the new taxi rank in Kagiso.
They complained that getting to work in the mornings had become troublesome as they were always late. Besides that, they were not consulted when the rank was created.
The new taxi rank was situated on a piece of unused ground on Steve Biko Drive. When the News spoke to Patrick Matolo, the PRO for the Greater Krugersdorp Taxi Association (GKTA), he said the GKTA and commuters were not involved nor consulted but that it was the Krugersdorp District Taxi Union (Kruditu) that had decided to create a new taxi rank.
Mogale City spokesperson, Nkosazana Zali told the News the department held a meeting with Kruditu on 30 June, when the union confirmed they had failed to apply for a rank on that property. By liaising with the Department of Local Economic Development, it was established that the property is registered to a private company.
Kruditu bosses cited a loss of business as the reason for creating a new rank, because taxis come into the CBD almost empty. However, Mogale City Public Safety stood firm after a meeting between the community and taxi bosses on 7 July, and they were told to vacate to area.
“We agreed to try for an amicable solution to the matter. Our understanding was that from 7 July, no taxis would use the area. Further – failure to adhere to that agreement would leave the municipality with no alternative but to pursue other means to remove the illegal rank. We regret that the situation has persisted to date and we are now taking drastic measures which we will not put in the public domain,” Zali told the News.
According to reliable sources, taxis are still using the space they were told to vacate.
The News tried to contact Kruditu for comment, to no avail.
Related articles:
Residents angry over new “illegal” taxi rank
Taxi drivers considered warned
