MEC for Transport, Community Safety & Liaison Mr Mxolisi Kaunda has re-opened long-distance routes for the Klipriver and Sizwe taxi associations. The MEC visited Ladysmith today (February 21) and made this decision.
On December 6 last year at the Town Hall, MEC Kaunda instituted a six-month taxi ban on the two warring associations in an attempt to stop the killing of operators and innocent commuters.
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The ban was intended to bring stability to the taxi industry in Ladysmith and areas within Alfred Duma Local Municipality, where approximately 71 lives had been lost since the outbreak of the conflict between Sizwe Transport Taxi Association and Klipriver Taxi Association.
The MEC lifted the ban after it had been in effect for about a month, as angry community members protested and blocked roads coming in and out of Ladysmith because they wanted taxis back on the road.
However, as a condition, the MEC allowed only short-distance operations.
Today he lifted this restriction, allowing taxis to operate on long-distance routes as well.
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