By Celani Sikhakhane
- Long-distance taxis stop working across KZN, demanding the release of vehicles taken by traffic officers.
- Taxi operators threaten a December-holiday shutdown if Transport MEC doesn’t intervene.
Long-distance taxi operators stopped working on Friday, leaving commuters stranded between KwaZulu-Natal towns and cities as well as neighbouring Gauteng, Free State and Mpumalanga provinces.
They want traffic officials to release their impounded minibus taxis.
The drivers say if Transport MEC Siboniso Duma doesn’t step in, there might be no taxis running during the December holidays.
Bhekisisa Nzuza from the Durban Station Taxi Association told Scrolla.Africa they’re fed up with the Shanela public transport enforcement traffic police unit harassing them on the roads.
“What is more painful is that MEC Siboniso Duma managed to intervene in Port Shepstone because it’s his hometown. Shanela is no longer taking vehicles in that part of the Province of KZN while the Northern parts are still suffering.
“We are waiting for Duma to tell us if our cars are going to be released or not. But we want our vehicles. We are tired of this mistreatment by Shanela,” said Nzuza.
Duma and his spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya couldn’t be reached for comment.
Nzuza said taxis won’t operate until officials release all impounded vehicles. The strike affects the whole province.
Former Transport MEC Dr Sbu Ndebele created Shanela to deal with taxi violence over route permits in KwaZulu-Natal. But now many taxi operators see the unit as their biggest enemy.
Last month, taxi operators and businessman Mandla Gcaba met transport officials, including Duma, to discuss their complaints.
Duma told them that while they would work together, traffic officers would keep stopping vehicles breaking road rules.
Pictured above: KZN long-distance commuters left stranded as minibus taxi down tools on Friday demanding the release of impounded vehicles.
Source: X
