eThekwini blamed for Umhlanga taxi blockade
Umhlanga councillor Nicole Bollman says the eThekwini Municipality needs to be held accountable for Tuesday's minibus blockade in the Umhlanga precinct.
Taxi operators from 13 associations shut off some of the access roads into the Umhlanga Village on Tuesday over a lack of a rank to service Oceans Mall and surrounds.
They had been parking along a road near the mall but found that spot barricaded with bollards when they arrived yesterday morning, prompting the protest.
READ: eThekwini urges taxi operators to use ‘proper’ channels to air grievances
A hastily convened meeting on Tuesday afternoon between taxi bosses and the mall's management resulted in a temporary arrangement for minibus taxis to use vacant space in the shopping centre's parking.
"You can't blame taxis really; they don't have anywhere to go, and there have been a lot of promises and absolutely no resolutions,” says Bollman.
"So effectively three weeks ago, allegedly, there was a meeting. I wasn't, unfortunately, included in the meeting, and there were discussions made and never any finalisation. And the city, I phoned them, I spoke to the head of ETA. I said to them, please come down and talk to these folk. You are the ones making the negotiations."
eThekwini officials are set to meet with the taxi associations again on Wednesday afternoon.
"Representatives from the eThekwini Municipality are expected to meet with the members of the taxi industry from the northern region to find long-lasting solutions to address issues related to the lack of a designated public space for taxis near the Oceans Mall in Umhlanga,” says the city's Gugu Sisilana.
ALSO READ: Temporary space allocated to protesting Umhlanga taxis
