THE recently announced taxi fare increases in Wentworth and Austerville have left residents upset, with some calling on the association to lower the new prices.

The new taxi fare increased by R2, effective from April 10.

New adjusted taxi fare:  

• A taxi from Wentworth to Durban CBD – From R18 to R20
• Jacobs to Durban CBD – from R14 to R16

According to the association, the fare increase is due to the recent fuel price increases, that forces motorists to dig deeper into their pockets.

Yvonne Stephens posted, “They need to clean up the taxis and get them roadworthy with respectful drivers or know what they doing on the road before they put prices up.”

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The Auswest Taxi Association issued a notice advising passengers of the changes. However, residents took to social media platforms to express their frustration.

In a statement issued last month, the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) said the increases on diesel are particularly concerning as it appears fuel stations are taking advantage of diesel not being heavily regulated.

Santaco said individual taxi associations retain the prerogative to determine fare adjustments based on operational pressures.

“Taxi fare adjustments are not ordinarily made in response to fuel price fluctuations alone, as these can be temporal in nature, but are instead considered through a broader, balanced assessment of multiple operational and administrative cost pressures,” said Santaco in a statement.

The administrative cost pressures include:

• Vehicle maintenance
• Financing licensing and other overheads.

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