TAXI TRUCE SIGNALS HOPE FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT: NDEBELE

The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport S’bu Ndebele says yesterday’s agreement among feuding taxi associations in KZN and Gauteng gives hope for lasting peace in the taxi industry.

MEC Ndebele says freeway ambushes and killings will be a thing of the past and this will pave the way to a brighter future in the taxi and the broader public transport industries.

‘The beauty of this agreement, which my department has been a part from the beginning, is that all protagonists have participated in it. This is a strong sign of the industry’s commitment to peace in their business,’ says Mr Ndebele.

The conflict over the lucrative Durban/Johannesburg and Durban/Empangeni routes started in 1996. This caused raptures among major taxi associations operating the Johannesburg/ Durban routes resulting in several splinter taxi associations that continued to fight over the past six years. Numerous mediation attempts over the years have finally culminated in yesterday’s agreement.

The KZN Department of Transport has been part of a joint operation with Gauteng Transport Department facilitating the negotiations - a process that has happened over the past six years, says MEC Ndebele.

The agreement signed yesterday in Johannesburg stipulates the following:

All members of the splinter associations should be allowed back into their original associations with effect from Friday, 08 November 2002. The re-registration process into the mother association has already started on Monday, 11 November 2002 with the process being supervised by a task team including the KZN Department of Transport, the Durban and Johannesburg Metro Councils and the leadership of the taxi associations.

All associations should finalise the reciprocal agreements among the seven associations. [The Durban Long Distance Association (DLDTA), Sizwe Taxi Association (from Johannesburg), Klip River Taxi Association operating between JHB and Ladysmith, Mahlabathini/Ulundi Transport Services, Buhle Besizwe Transport Services (Ladysmith) and Bara-City Taxi Association (JHB).]

Government will facilitate the legalisation of the mentioned taxi associations and assist them in getting the necessary operating permits.

The KZN DoT, Gauteng Transport Department and leaders of taxi associations, over the next few months to ensure its success, will closely monitor this truce.

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