Taxi strike hurts commuters
The city-wide strike was called by Santaco in solidarity with the Clermont – KwaDabeka Taxi Association in Pinetown, which had engaged in violent conflict with e-hailing operators.
DESPITE an evening meeting that lasted well into the night on September 3, to try and avert a two-day city-wide taxi strike, commuters around the South Coast woke up to no taxis and no way of getting to work today (September 4). Stranded commuters resorted to hitchhiking, and in some cases, walking to work where possible.
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The KZN Department of Transport (KZNDOT) and eThekwini Municipality’s representatives had met with officials from the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) to resolve long-standing tensions within the taxi sector that had reached a boiling point.
The city-wide strike was called by Santaco in solidarity with the Clermont – KwaDabeka Taxi Association in Pinetown, which had engaged in violent conflict with e-hailing operators. Santaco’s provincial manager, Sifiso Shangase, said the e-hailing operators in that area were no longer relying on their apps for customers, but they had started to operate like taxis, picking up commuters at bus stops.
“While commuters have a right to use any mode of transport they want, the playing field should be level. We, as the taxi industry, have to abide by the National Land Transport Act of 2009. E-hailing vehicles want to provide the same service as us, but the Act does not apply to them, and they don’t have to pay for the permits we are required to have,” said Shangase.
Another concern put forward by Santaco was the backlog in issuing operating licences, which leads them to being penalised by the metro police.
All parties at the meeting acknowledged the legitimacy of the concerns raised by the taxi industry and committed to swift, collaborative action. Both eThekwini and KZNDOT committed to full enforcement measures to apply to e-hailing vehicles operating outside legal parameters.
It was agreed that a joint task team, comprising representatives from the taxi industry, eThekwini Municipality, and the KZNDOT, will be established to oversee the implementation of the resolutions that were adopted in the meeting.
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