Taxi associations fight for routes in Msholozi
Moving in and out of Msholozi Trust was reduced to a very slow pace this morning as members of the Kabokweni Taxi Association (KTA) stopped White-Hazy operators from operating in the area.
Parking their vehicles and taxis on both sides of the road, a few metres from the R40 road junction to Msholozi, KTA members denied White-Hazy taxis from leaving the area with any passengers. They allege that they are the only association with permits to operate on the route between Phumlani to Mbombela and Phumlani to White River.
“The other association is aware of this. We are the only association which started this route way back in 2010 when it was even more difficult to move to other sections like Section D and Section C. Our taxis have been here for a long time.
“We have in our possession, operating licences for this area,” explains Vusi Lukhele, secretary of KTA.
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The association is also in possession of a court order dated 03/06/2019 which they showed to Mpumalanga News.
“It is ordered that the responds and members be restrained from unlawfully operating as taxi operators on the Phumlani-White River Route,” reads the court order.
Lukhele said members from his association will not leave the area until the Department of Roads and Transport clarifies their permits to the White-Hazy Association.
“We will monitor and protect our work,” he said.
Also read: Taxi strike at Mganduzweni
Speaking to Peter Mndawe and Mfana Nkuna, the representatives of White-Hazy Taxi Association, said their association applied for operating permits between Msholozi and White River and
Msholozi and Mbombela in 2011.
“We applied for the route in 2011 while Kabokweni Taxi Association made their application in 2015. Surprisingly, government granted them the permits and left our application aside. We also want to know how government has granted them a permit before ours, yet we were the first ones to make applications,” they said.
“The matter is in court and what Kabokweni Association is doing is against the laws of this country. Let them allow the court processes to continue until a final decision is made,” said Nkuna.
Cyril Dlamini spokesperson for the Department of Public Works Roads and Transports had not responded to a media inquiry sent to him at the time of publishing this article.
