Umhlanga, a coastal town north of Durban, was brought to a standstill this afternoon when hundreds of taxis blocked major routes in and out of the area. The CBD was the worst affected.

Umhlanga Rocks Drive, near the bridge going in and out of the village; the M4 on- and off-ramps; and Lagoon and Lighthouse roads are gridlocked and consequently closed.

It is believed the blockade is related to negotiations around establishing a temporary rank in the town.

The eThekwini Municipality held a public meeting on the options for establishing temporary and final bus and taxi ranks in March. However, no consensus has been reached.

At the time of publication, the SAPS and metro police were on the scene monitoring the situation.

Metro police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Boysie Zungu says a meeting is scheduled for next Tuesday between ratepayers, business owners and taxi bosses.

“We are advising motorists to avoid the area as traffic is severely affected,” he says.

Umhlanga Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association chairperson Terry MacLarty says she has sent messages to the eThekwini Traffic Authority, mayor Mxolisi Kaunda and the speaker, requesting them to attend the meeting.

“We’ve insisted these officials attend because they are the ultimate decision-makers in this dispute. I do believe there needs to be a proper dialogue between taxi bosses, the community, and the city regarding the finalisation of a taxi rank.

“I believe the taxi drivers and commuters are not being considered in this decision. They are part of the community, and a temporary taxi rank needs to be established as soon as possible. At the same time, we cannot allow for the law to be broken. We are asking for meaningful dialogue because this affects residents and visitors, as well as businesses in the area,” she says.