{"id":75666,"date":"2024-10-28T16:24:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-28T16:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/long-distance-taxi-operators-stand-off-with-cops-leaves-kzn-commuters-stranded"},"modified":"2024-10-28T16:24:00","modified_gmt":"2024-10-28T16:24:00","slug":"long-distance-taxi-operators-stand-off-with-cops-leaves-kzn-commuters-stranded","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/long-distance-taxi-operators-stand-off-with-cops-leaves-kzn-commuters-stranded","title":{"rendered":"Long-distance taxi operators’ stand-off with cops leaves KZN commuters stranded"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – South-Africa. <\/strong><\/span>Long-distance taxi operators who are at odds with KwaZulu-Natal traffic police staged an impromptu protest in Durban on Monday, leaving commuters stranded.<\/p>\n

The strike action is due to problems over permits between the long-distance taxi industry and the provincial department\u2019s unit known as Operation Shanela, which resulted in several taxis being impounded in the northern areas, mainly Empangeni, Ulundi, Newcastle and Vryheid.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe issue is the way the way Operation Shanela continues harassing us in this province. They continue impounding taxis while not making it any easier to get permits. In Ulundi, Empangeni and Vryheid, they impounded more than 50 taxis in the last few weeks. We just want permits and for Shanela to stop harassing us, that\u2019s all,\u201d said Thokozani Nala from the Durban Long Distance Taxi Association.<\/p>\n

Nala said they felt the unit was focusing more on disrupting their operations rather than helping resolve conflicts within the taxi industry, which was why it was established.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe is no violence within the long distance taxi association. Everything else is going as it should aside from Shanela. They were supposed to help us but now they are proving a hindrance.\u201d<\/p>\n

The entrances to the Durban station and YMCA long-distance taxi ranks were blockaded by taxis while several were parked in First Avenue in Greyville. This affected scores of commuters travelling to Gauteng, northern KwaZulu-Natal and countries like Mozambique, Swaziland and Lesotho.<\/p>\n

Siyabonga Mndaba, travelling to Richards Bay, said he only found out taxis were not operating when he got to the rank.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been here for hours, I wanted to go early because I still have to take another taxi home from town when I get to Richards Bay \u2014 as do most of us here. I haven\u2019t been home in a long time … so I will wait for as long as it takes and hope that the issue is resolved, whatever it may be,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI heard there\u2019s a meeting taking place in Pietermaritzburg to find a solution to this so I\u2019m still hopeful that everything will be sorted out today [Monday]. I just wish it\u2019s done before it gets late.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luyanda Mabuza, who is travelling from Inanda to Swaziland, said she was disappointed by the lack of communication.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is frustrating honestly because we are not treated like paying customers in the taxis. They are well within their rights to strike for whatever reason but they should let us know prior for both our safety and convenience. They are a big industry, they should start operating like one,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

KwaZulu-Natal transport MEC Siboniso Duma had to cut short a working trip to Johannesburg to meet operators in Pietermaritzburg.<\/p>\n

Ndabezinhle Sibiya, Duma\u2019s spokesperson, said they met with the Durban Station Taxi Association a few weeks ago, when it was agreed operators would collect more than 115 permits which had not been collected.<\/p>\n

Sibiya said 84 of the permits would expire within 60 days if they were not collected, while nine had already expired.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have faced challenges in KwaZulu-Natal over the years but it is through collective wisdom that we\u2019ve been able to resolve them, so let us work hand-in-hand to ensure prosperity \u2014 and the taxi industry is very important for the prosperity of the province,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Nala said he was disappointed with how Duma has handled the matter, claiming he had not been \u201con the ground\u201d to engage them about their challenges but had spoken to \u201ca select group at the top\u201d.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About South-Africa<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – South-Africa. Long-distance taxi operators who are at odds with KwaZulu-Natal traffic police staged an impromptu protest in Durban on Monday, leaving commuters stranded. The strike action is due to problems over permits between the long-distance taxi industry and the provincial department\u2019s unit known as Operation Shanela, which resulted in several taxis being impounded […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":75665,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[274,315,275],"class_list":["post-75666","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-community","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-south-africa","tag-south-africa-2"],"yoast_head":"\nLong-distance taxi operators' stand-off with cops leaves KZN commuters stranded - South Africa<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/long-distance-taxi-operators-stand-off-with-cops-leaves-kzn-commuters-stranded\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Long-distance taxi operators' stand-off with cops leaves KZN commuters stranded\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Africa-Press – South-Africa. Long-distance taxi operators who are at odds with KwaZulu-Natal traffic police staged an impromptu protest in Durban on Monday, leaving commuters stranded. 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