Ballito residents and taxi users are fed up

While the powers that be take their time deciding to build a proper taxi rank in Ballito, the people (taxi commuters) who serve the community suffer in silence.

The current “temporary taxi rank” is too small to accommodate the people and the taxis, resulting in taxis obstructing traffic on Ballito drive and even worse, people having no choice but to queue outside the “rank” along the busy roads that border the “rank”.

The “rank” has no concrete floor so everything is dusty, especially when the wind blows, and it is muddy when it rains.

Commuters are totally exposed to the sun, rain, lightning and wind.

The “rank” is also too close to the road and pedestrians run the risk of getting run over by a car.

The limited ablution facilities are often locked and some say taxi drivers/bosses do not allow commuters to use the facilities.

Nqobile Ndlovu said she felt unsafe queuing outside the rank along the road in the afternoon and felt the location on the corner of Ballito’s busiest intersection was unsafe for pedestrians.

She thought the current constructions workers camp at the Ballito Junction would be an ideal spot for a new taxi rank.

“The toilets are filthy and commuters are not allowed to use them. I have to use the toilet at work before I go home in the afternoon,” said Nokuthula Bongosi.

She also found the indignity of arriving at work dirty from the dusty “rank” appalling.

“We also suffer because we have no shelter from the sun and when it rains,” she said.

However, some taxi drivers said they were happy with the sub-standard “rank”.

“This place is fine, we just need some shelter,” said Patrick Dlamini from behind the wheel of his parked taxi.

He did not want a new rank to be built elsewhere, for example behind the Shell garage at Lifestyle Centre because it is too far.

“They should build two ranks. One for taxis to park and the current one to pick up and drop off passengers,” he said.