Thousands of Doringkop residents remain without public transport two months after the KwaMaphumulo Owners Taxi Association was suspended from operating the route.

Madundube residents have also been affected, although they still have access to buses and taxis travelling along the R74 from Maphumulo or Glendale. Doringkop residents have no alternative and are instead relying on private vehicles and bakkies, often at significantly higher fares.

The disruption stems from a long-running dispute over the Doringkop and Madundube taxi routes, where tensions between the KwaMaphumulo and KwaDukuza taxi associations have persisted for years.

Following a shooting on Doesburg Road near Lindelani in March, the KwaMaphumulo Owners Taxi Association was suspended from operating on the disputed routes for 60 days. The association said the suspension was later extended despite the matter already being before the courts.

The extension sparked protests, including the closure of the R74 and the torching of a truck on June 22. The association subsequently halted all operations and marched to the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) offices in Groutville last Wednesday, where it handed over a memorandum calling for urgent intervention.

Services on the association’s other routes resumed last Thursday, bringing relief to thousands of commuters. However, the Doringkop and Madundube routes remain suspended.

One resident who joined the march said he recently gave a lift to an elderly woman after finding her walking home.

“She had already walked about 4km and still had another 3km to go. If taxis were operating, the gogo would never have had to walk. She couldn’t afford the fares charged by private vehicles. We are the ones suffering, yet we have done nothing wrong,” he said.

Another resident said the transport disruptions recently caused her to miss sending an international order.
“I am now thinking of renting a room in Durban so I can continue working without these challenges.

“I used to work from home and simply take a taxi to Stanger whenever I needed to send a delivery. Now that’s no longer possible,” she said.

The association’s memorandum calls for the urgent finalisation of operating licence applications, which it says have been delayed since May 2024, an end to the impoundment of taxis while the process is resolved, and a formal meeting with transport officials within 14 days.

Transport MEC Siboniso Duma said an independent committee had been appointed to resolve the dispute.

“There are people who cause trouble, especially in the security industry, because if there’s peace, they lose business. We can’t have security companies controlling who operates where. However, we are working on the issue, and it will be resolved soon,” said Duma.