MEDIA STATEMENT

KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport applauds and welcomes the decision taken by the KwaZulu-Natal Transport Alliance to end the two-day taxi strike that has caused pain and suffering to most commuters in the province. This follows a meeting that was held on Monday, 8 May 2006 between the Department’s management and the leadership of the KZN Transport Alliance where it was agreed in principle that operations would resume after the submission of the memorandum to parliament.

The memorandum was received by a representative from the Office of the Premier and Transport CEO Dr. Kwazi Mbanjwa at the Pietermaritzburg legislature on Tuesday, 9 May 2006. The Department of Transport respects the constitutional rights of taxi operators to protest and voice their grievances provided it is done within the parameters of the law and if it will not cause any inconvenience and unnecessary suffering to the commuters.

“The executive leadership of the Transport Alliance last week attended a workshop that was addressed by the Director-General of the National Department of Transport, Ms Mpumi Mpofu where all concerns and questions on Taxi Recap were addressed. Most of the concerns raised from the memorandum are precisely on Taxi recap, therefore there was absolutely no need for the commuters to suffer in the last two days because operators themselves had hailed the workshop as a success” said Mbanjwa.

“The KZN Department of Transport operates on an open-door policy therefore if there are any outstanding issues they will be addressed accordingly, even if they need the Premier’s intervention a formal meeting could be arranged as opposed to the protest march” Mbanjwa added.


Ends