Ballito taxi rank fumble

The land expropriation process for the Ballito taxi rank has hit yet another stumbling block as KwaDukuza municipality and the Dolphin Coast Taxi Association struggle to find common ground.

KDM maintains this dispute may delay the opening of the new Ballito Junction mall.

The land where the Shell Greenfields Service Station once stood (next to the P455/ Ballito Drive between Virgin Active and the N2) has been earmarked for the development of the new taxi rank. The expropriation of the land was approved last month by the land owners (Shell SA) and the transport department.

However, while KwaDukuza municipality tries to rake up funds and negotiates a price with Shell SA, the current temporary taxi rank located next to the Sangweni Tourism Centre on Ballito Drive is preventing the new Ballito Junction Mall’s road expansion project from taking place.

The taxi rank was ‘temporarily’ moved there in 2014 following the decision to widen Ballito Drive to six lanes, which incorporated the previous informal rank, also a much complained about eyesore next to the Lifestyle Centre.

The Ballito Junction expansion project is set to widen the road from the entrance of the Junction to the P445 (Ballito Drive) to accommodate the traffic flow in and out of the new mall.

Construction of the road was supposed to have started at the end of October as the mall is scheduled to open next March. This leaves contractors very little time.

In a council document, KDM states that should the construction be delayed any further it could have a direct impact on the opening of the mall. They also claim that the mall’s developer has already told the municipality that the contractor hired to widen the road is going to issue a penalty clause against them.

However, speaking on behalf of the co-owners of Ballito Junction Regional Mall, Patrick Flanagan denied there were any contractor penalties and said that they did not anticipate any delay to the opening.

“We continue to work with KwaDukuza Municipality on not only roads but on all issues as per normal practice.

“It should be appreciated that the taxi industry is a vital aspect of the transport infrastructure which serves the entire business node of Ballito.

“The developers have delivered and will continue to deliver all aspects of the project that it has either a desire to bring about, or obligations to bring about in the interests of the mall, the whole of Ballito and its citizens,” he said.

To prevent further delay of the road expansion project, KDM proposed that the site of the current taxi rank be ‘reduced’ and that one of the entrances to the rank be closed.

They also suggested that some of the taxis use the vacant, government owned land opposite the Ballito BP Garage as a holding area until the expropriation process and building of the proper taxi rank by Shell garage is finalised.

The Dolphin Coast Taxi Association will not agree to this and warned that the plan to reduce and split the rank may result in violence and a loss of money for the taxi industry.

Dolphin Coast Taxi Association chairperson Richard David said that the widening of the road should not be done at their expense.

“We are in full support of the new mall because it brings mutual benefits to us and to the community. We have no objection to the widening of roads but it cannot be done at our expense.

“We are unhappy that the people we meet with from KDM are always changing. If the municipality wants to relocate us then they should do it for the last time to a permanent site,” he said.

“Taxi owers and drivers may resort to violence if we are forced to move,” he said.

The association asked that the municipality give them a clear agreement with time-lines in when the permanent rank will be ready before they relocate. KwaDukuza municipality did not respond to questions about the expropriation process.

According to council documents, a price had not yet been agreed with the landowners.

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