Taxi strike leaves Ballito commuters stranded

Ratepayers and businesses in Ballito say the taxi strike that has been raging at Ntshawini outside KwaDukuza has meant that commuters have not been able to report to work for weeks.

Taxi drivers have been striking for the past two weeks.

They are upset at the transport department's slow reissuing of confiscated operating licenses.

The licenses were taken during a clash between the KwaDukuza and Maphumulo taxi associations two years ago.

The protest has left hundreds of commuters stranded, with some opting to walk long distances to avoid missing work.

The Rate Payer's Association's Louis Luyt Junior says the strike has forced businesses to shut their doors:

"There is no alternate method of transportation available and the department of transport has indicated that they don't have R90-million, that is required for the start up of a bus service, allocated.

There is no plan in the near future to be able to obtain these funds and hence we sitting with a situation where the taxi associations are ruling the route and determining how the region actually functions and operates at this point in time," he said.  

(File photo: Gallo Images)

- Noloyiso Mbalane