Watch: Taxi council says its operators are not blocking Durban roads
The South African National Taxi Council says it has not called any strike or protest action.
Traffic on various main roads in and around Durban, including the N3, M7 and M19, is slowly clearing after roads were blocked this morning.
According to ALS Paramedics’ Garrith Jamieson, the N3 interchange near the Pavilion Shopping Centre was gridlocked.
Jamieson says the roads were blocked by taxi operators.
The roads started opening after the KZN police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi flew in by helicopter to assess the blockages.
Though taxis were seen along the mentioned roads, the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) has refuted claims that their operators staged the blockages.
KZN Santaco chairperson Sifiso Shangase says taxis were also blocked from conducting their routines, just like other motorists who were stuck in the traffic.
“We have not called on any strike or protest, our taxis are also victims of the blockages… If you look carefully at the videos being shared, you will see that it is trucks that have blocked the N3.”
At 21:00, Jamieson said roads leading to Umbilo from the M7 were clear and advised motorists to use the M7 as a detour.
Yesterday, South Coast Herald reported that no one could enter Port Shepstone as trucks and taxis blocked the entrances and exits.
Read original story on witness.co.za