City’s proposal to build taxi holding facility in Prestondale hits a roadblock
It is understood the City are looking at other sites to accommodate taxis and busses in a holding facility.
UMHLANGA Ward councillor Bradley Singh has confirmed that the proposed plan to build a taxi and bus rank or ‘holding facility’ on a vacant plot of land in Prestondale has been cancelled.
The plan, put forward by the eThekwini Municipality, proposed a three-level holding facility with more than 570 bays, next to the Umhlanga Ski Boat Club, due to a lack of a designated taxi rank in the uMhlanga CBD.
During the public participation phase, the City received more than 2500 objections.
Related article: Residents willing to go to court if Prestondale taxi ‘holding facility’ goes ahead
Currently, taxis are parked on the M4 Ruth First Highway off-ramp and while there are a limited number of bays for taxis on Ridge Road behind Oceans Mall, there are no public transport facilities within the uMhlanga Rocks precinct to hold hundreds of taxis.
Singh said the decision now meant the City would have to consider other options outside the uMhlanga precinct.
“The residents stood firm in their opposition and made their arguments within the law and by-laws which was one of the reasons the proposal was defeated. The simple truth is there is no other site of municipal land within the uMhlanga precinct; the City will have to look elsewhere and at the other proposed site in Cornubia. In the lead-up to the decision, residents made it very clear that under no circumstance will they be bulldozed by the City, and that they were willing to fight the matter in court,” he said.
Also read: Reckless driving and speeding a hazard for uMhlanga residents
In response to the proposal, a notice by the City’s development planning and management unit said the eThekwini Traffic Authority (ETA) is currently looking to identify other sites that are considered less impactful for this kind of land use, i.e a taxi and bus rank.
Singh said he expects some pushback on the decision and said any driver breaking the law will be dealt with by Metro Police.
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