WHAT was billed as a peaceful march to City Hall by local taxi drivers descended into chaos earlier this afternoon as reports of violent incidents lit up social media, including unconfirmed reports of vandalism and violent attacks on bus drivers.
Traffic in the Durban CBD was brought to a standstill as Durban taxi drivers marched through the CBD to deliver a memorandum to eThekwini officials.
Earlier today, the municipality issued an urgent media release calling on members of the KZN Transport Alliance not to commit any acts of vandalism or disturbances. It said Metro Police SAPS Public Order Policing and Crime Intelligence had been deployed to ensure that the march remained peaceful.
Spokesperson for the Alliance said the city had not consulted with it regarding the Go Durban transport programme. He said the Alliance had heard that the city planned to introduce buses into their routes.
However, the city has disputed this saying the allegations are unfounded and a misrepresentation of facts. On 14 February 2014, the Municipality signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Taxi Industry.
The MOA spells out the principles as to how the Municipality and the Taxi industry will engage with the taxi operators so that they can be part of the Go!Durban project. The Chairperson of the Transport Alliance was one of the signatories of the MOA representing the Transport Alliance and the taxi Industry leadership structures who were the signatories of the MOA all have copies of the signed MOA.
The City, together with the taxi industry leadership and the taxi industry advisors that the City is providing to the taxi industry, is now preparing to convene roadshows and consultation workshops to the wider taxi industry members to make them aware and to understand the project and how they will participate in the project.
In terms of the National Land Transport Act, Act 5 of 2009, the City is the planning authority that has to plan, contract and regulate public transport services.
In the Go!Durban project, operations contracts will be negotiated between operating companies and the City and both bus and taxi operators coming together to form companies to be contracted to operate the different routes across the Municipality.
Metro police have advised motorists to find alternatives routes rather than travelling through Pixley Kaseme (West) Street as only one lane is open.
