Taxis and lift clubs lock horns

Will the Tongaat taxi association’s anger over growing lift clubs start a new a war on our roads?

Taxi association members walked out of a meeting last Thursday, threatening to take matters into their own hands.

This was their response to the way the Department of Transport (DoT) were handling the issue of lift club operators in the Tongaat area.

The Tongaat taxi and bus associations asked for the meeting with DoT, because they feel that illegal lift clubs are undermining their business.

The traditional lift clubs between parents taking turns to take kids to school, have evolved into people setting up a shuttle service with a handful of Quantums.

But when does a lift club between neighbours become illegal?

As soon as any form of monetary reward is offered in return for the lift, the driver needs to have an operating license.

The taxi and bus groups want these private shuttle services to be regulated and illegal ones stopped.

About 80 representatives from the lift clubs, taxis and bus groups met at the Tongaat Central Library last Thursday night to address these issues.

Lift club operators are frustrated that they have not been able to renew their operating licenses, because DoT has put them on hold.

DoT says this is because there are too many taxis on the road.

“How are we going to sort out this problem? We cannot get licenses to operate legally, but we also cannot stop this service, because people in the community rely on us,” said a lift club operator, who wanted to remain anonymous.

DoT compliance officer Nozipho Nxumalo said it is up to the police to enforce the law.

The taxi group responded to this by leaving the meeting.

The bus operators, on the other hand, remained and pleaded for help from DoT, saying that they cannot survive due to the growing number of lift clubs.

“The lift clubs are interfering and illegal operators are making it impossible for us to make ends meet. At the beginning of the year, we had about 60 people in a bus on the varsity route. Now, we are lucky if we make 25 students,” said a bus operator, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal.

Renny Naidu, a concerned parent, said he is glad his child can use a lift club to school. “Am I breaking the law if I want my child to get to school safely, with a driver I trust in a roadworthy vehicle?”

Dolphin Coast residents agreed on the North Coast Courier’s Facebook page, saying that the taxi association should rather ask themselves why people do not want to use their service.

Anisha Garib said although lift clubs are slightly more pricey, people prefer them because they are more reliable, safer and most importantly they pick you up at home and drop you off at work.

Others said taxi’s need to be controlled, instead of feared.

Arjun Sucith said if taxis take matters into their own hands, then those hands must be put into handcuffs.

Fay Horack said police need to stop being so scared of taxis and put them in their place.

Rajesh Bharat agreed that it is time to fight back, saying the public will also take matters in their own hands.  “It won’t be a taxi war anymore, it’ll be a war on taxis!”

According to Tongaat SAPS Station Commander, Colonel Santha Moodley there will be a follow up meeting on Wednesday at 6pm at the Tongaat Primary Schoool, as there was no resolution reached at last week’s meeting.