Commuters were stranded on Monday this week, from Margate to Umzinto, as taxi associations under the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) Ugu Region refused to operate.
Associations claim they are being targeted by the Department of Transport’s (DoT) Operation Shanela, which impounded a number of taxis over several weeks, for operating without permits.
A woman from Nyandezulu had to pay a neighbour to take her to work, or she would not be paid, while another woman from Oshabeni had to rely on lifts to and from work.
Taxi owners gathered at Marburg Sports Ground on Monday, and demanded intervention from DoT and Ray Nkonyeni Municipality, their grievance being that they need permits, so that Operation Shanela can stop harassing them.
Furthermore, they urged that Shanela leave the South Coast until the permits issue has been sorted.
At a second meeting later the same day, taxi owners led by the Santaco Ugu region chairperson, Lizwi Maphumulo and other Santaco members, said that an agreement reached last year had been contravened.
In July 2024, taxi associations shut down Port Shepstone because Operation Shanela had impounded taxis for operating without permits.
At the time, they had claimed DoT was the reason for the permits backlog. Also, owners said they had applied for permits, but to no avail. This had led to a meeting with the MEC of Transport and Human Settlements, Siboniso Duma, and an agreement had been reached that Operation Shanela would not come into Ugu, until permits were sorted.
However, just more than a year later, Operation Shanela was back in the district impounding taxis.
DoT’s chief director for the Provincial Regulatory Entity, Sifundiswa Lunga, explained that a permit can be either approved or declined.
He added that owners can apply for permits at anytime as there is no longer a window period for applications.
“In July 2024, an agreement was reached because applications were under way and some were being finalised.
Also, once an owner has applied for a permit, it does not give him a right to operate.”
Lunga said phase 3 of the issuing of permits has been concluded, and owners must go to SARS to get a tax clearance.
At the conclusion of the second meeting, another agreement was reached that Operation Shanela will not come into Ugu.
Taxis were back on the roads on Tuesday.
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