I AM the general manager of a company called Total Locksmith and Signs. We have been in Dales Ave for 27 years.
When the taxi rank moved to the entrance of Dales Ave, we saw a sharp decline in sales.
We have experienced sales increases year after year as a very successful company. Our current sales decline can directly be attributed to the taxi rank move and no other factors.
I have numerous customers that refuse to enter Dales Ave in fear of their safety.
Their fears are not unfounded as more than 50 per cent of my staff have been mugged in Dales Ave and we have been witness to more than a dozen of these similar attacks. I can confirm without a shadow of doubt that the level of crime has spiralled out of control in this road due to the taxi rank move.
We are not the only company affected, we know of other small businesses that have shut down or been forced to move as a result of this.
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I feel that I can no longer keep quiet while I see the company sales decline month after month. I fear we will suffer the same fate as some of the other small businesses, if I do not act.
As a stakeholder, I believe that we should have been involved in the decision to move the taxi rank as we are directly affected.
Instead the decision was forced upon us and we had no choice but to accept it.
We were told that this was only temporary, but temporary has just moved in front of our driveway entrance, effectively placing our business in the middle of a taxi rank.
We never chose to be in the middle of a taxi rank, but once again it was forced upon us and we have no choice but to accept it.
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But accept it, I will not do this time. This has gone on far too long, and I require answers and action.
We have lost lots of business and my customers tell me straight of that they will not come back because they fear for their safety. We have already down sized and the only other option next will be to shut down business, therefore taking the unemployment rate higher because 20 of my staff will be out of a job
Furthermore, I will be lodging a claim for loss of business with eThekwini Municipality should this issue not be resolved soon.
Sandra Naidoo
Pinetown
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