The KwaDukuza and Ballito taxi ranks will both have shelters built before the end of June next year.
This was revealed as part of a special adjustment budget presented to council last week, which allocated an additional R5.38-million and R3.54-million to the KwaDukuza and Ballito ranks respectively.
It has been six years since the Ballito rank was opened in July, 2017.
Upgrades to the ablution facilities at both ranks, as well as resurfacing at the KwaDukuza rank, were both already budgeted for at R6-million and R2-million.
Shelters will make a huge difference to the quality of commuters’ lives during waiting periods in poor or particularly hot weather conditions.
When the Courier visited the Ballito rank in 2021, commuters and vendors said a lack of shelter was their biggest problem.
Shelters have long been promised by the municipality, who have cited budgetary constraints as the reason for the delay.
“We had meetings with the taxi association in Ballito and of everything they wanted us to do, shelter was the most important,” said executive director of community services, Siyabonga Khanyile.
“They said please prioritise it over the ablutions if you have to. With the increased budget we will be able to do both.”
It was a similar story when the municipality met with the taxi association in KwaDukuza.
“The KwaDukuza association also asked for shelter, particularly at the long range terminal, plus for us to deal with stormwater challenges,” Khanyile said.
As the adjustment budget is for mid-year changes, the extra funds for both ranks will fall into the 2023/24 financial year.
This means the budget will need to be spent and work done before the financial year end in June next year.
No timeline was given for when construction will start at either rank.
Elsewhere in the adjustment budget, the municipality was boosted by news that their unspent disaster recovery funds from last year’s floods would be allowed to roll over.
R927.8-million has been made available to the municipality and the majority of the funds (R899.7-million) will be funnelled toward disaster recovery projects.
It has been reflected in the capital expenditure budget of the current financial year.
Follow The North Coast Courier on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube for breaking news
WhatsApp Broadcast Service: https://chat.whatsapp.com/BdGZsGJEAf04AXZ2yLWi8T
