Residents irate over impromptu ‘taxi rank’ in Morningside

E-HAILING cabs parking along Innes Road have sparked concerns for residents who say litter and public urination are among their top gripes.

Robert Fraser, a resident in the area said: “This is a fairly prestigious area. In our block, we spent a million Rand painting it. To have (taxis) sitting outside, eating their food and throwing (litter) out on the pavement makes the place look like a slum. They urinate on the wall. There is some noise pollution, but the most serious thing is the litter and the fact that they are there- they shouldn’t be sitting there.”

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Ward 27 councillor, Ernest Smith said the taxi drivers congregate on the road.

“They actually start blocking the road and then some park on the pavement. The problem residents have is that there is no one who is actually in charge. Uber has a regional representative, but the problem is their details aren’t listed on the website,” he said.

“Some of the residents went to the taxi drivers in good faith and offered them a black bag and asked them to put their litter in the bag and not to urinate on the sidewalk or make a noise. These residents, as well as others, say they are woken up at night. They said drivers sometimes play football in the street and yell and scream,” he said.

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While the road is an ideal spot for taxis to wait for customers, Smith said problems arise when a residential area becomes an impromptu taxi rank.

“It’s a central spot for them to wait for people in the area, but it’s problematic. People wouldn’t have a problem with them if they were cleaning up after themselves and not urinating in public. There is also a problem with noise because taxi drivers have permits to be out after curfew,” he said.