Taxis threaten company transport

Commuters making daily use of legitimate lift clubs to travel to work in Ballito are afraid to go to work because they are reportedly being intimidated by taxi owners.

On Monday morning, October 26, members of the Dolphin Coast Taxi Association pulled over bakkies transporting workers through Shakaskraal, warning them to stop carrying passengers or “face the consequences”.

“They took photos of all the bakkies and said they know who we are and we better not carry any passengers tomorrow,” said a driver who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retribution.

The driver’s Ballito employer, who will also remain anonymous for the safety of his employees, said he let his driver go home to Groutville with the company bakkie everyday, taking his co-workers with him and transporting them back to work each day.

“There is no fee for this service. I supply my company vehicle and pay for the petrol myself. I do this to save my workers money and make it easier for them to get to work and back,” said the employer.

He said if his workers had to use the taxis they would have to wake up two hours earlier every morning, queue for a taxi and possibly be late for work.

He said it was more productive for him to let his driver and workers use the company bakkie.

The driver said he was afraid to open a case with the police because he believed that some police officers and politicians owned taxis and he feared he might be ratted out to the taxi owners.

“I am afraid because these people could easily attack me at my house and kill me,” said the driver.

The driver said he had no choice but to start using the N2 and pay toll fees of R110 per week because he is afraid to use the R102.

The employer said with people queuing around the block, taxi owners had more passengers than they could carry and there was no common sense to their actions.

“If someone breaks into a shop, I can understand that he is unemployed and needs money or food, but these guys have enough passengers. This is so ridiculous, it is like a comedy!” he said.

Mdu Tony, Dolphin Coast Taxi Association chairman said they had the right to stop people transporting staff because they did not have public transport licenses and were supposed to use taxis.

However, Sbusiso Ntuli from the national department of transport said companies were allowed to transport workers.

He told a special meeting in Tongaat between taxi owners and lift club operators last month that giving the same passengers a lift to work every day without reward qualified as a legitimate lift club, did not require a special permit or license and could operate as is.

This week Ntuli said he had received counter complaints from taxi operators of people pretending to be licensed sub-contractors offering transport services when in fact, they were operating illegally.

He said the DoT would investigate and possibly handle the situation the same way they had in Tongaat.

KZN SAPS spokesperson, Major Thulani Zwane said serious cases of intimidation must be reported to the police.

“If the people are afraid of being ratted out by police owning taxis, they must make an appointment with their cluster commander, Brigadier Bheki Zondi and speak to him in private,” said Zwane.

Brigadier Zondi can be contacted at the Stanger SAPS on 032-551 8206/29.