MBOMBELA – It is December and taxi associations in the city are at one another’s throats over long-distance routes once again, while commuters suffer the consequences.
On Monday, taxi commuters had to walk long long distances with their groceries not knowing where exactly to board the taxis to get home.
This was due to the continuing conflict between associations.
Many commuters were seen with luggage at Nelspruit Plaza Taxi Rank, frantically searching for a taxi to board.
Those who were lucky enough to get into the taxi rank were ferried by taxis to where a long queue of taxis, stretching from Brown Street to what used to be the Isuzu Properties, were parked.
This caused chaos and a backup of traffic. Police vehicles were visible on the main street near the rank.
Representatives of the KaBokweni Taxi Association, said they decided to abandon the Mbombela Taxi Rank last Thursday after their counterpart, Top Star Association, denied them rights to transport passengers over long distances.
The KaBokweni association was accused of not having licences to ferry passengers to Pretoria and Johannesburg.
Mr Vusi Lukhele, secretary of the association, said all hell broke loose when its operators were accused by Top Star management of having illegal permits.
“We still stand on what the former MEC for roads and transport said about our permits. However, recommendations were made, allowing us to work together and ferry passengers to Pretoria and Johannesburg. We have met with them and the relevant department over the same issue for years, but there is still no solution. Our long-distance taxis have not been able to operate for days,” he explained.
Also read: Taxi war leads to chaosTaxi wars over passengers continue in Mbombela
Top Star chairperson, Mr John Mavundla, said the misunder-standings began when taxi operators started picking up passengers from the streets instead of the taxi rank.
“We are fighting against illegal taxis. All taxi associations must collect their passengers from the platforms provided at the taxi rank,” he said.
Mavundla emphasised that his association was legal.
“We have proof that they are using fraudulent permits. We expect government to take action against them, similar to what they did with us. Government withdrew our permits to Bushbuckridge because it discovered that we were using fraudulent routes. Why are they not doing the same now? All that we are saying is that taxis must go back to the rank and operate where they are supposed to,” he said.
