When the new and spacious Intermodel Transport Facility (taxi rank) in Alexandra Street was opened in 2015, the vision was for a centralised hub that catered for the needs of travellers as well as taxi drivers.
However, some taxi owners / drivers have, in the past years, resorted to moving away from the taxi rank and several ‘informal taxi ranks’ have been noticed in the CBD.
The pick-up points have also now become car washes, which extends its services to private vehicles.
Some residents have contacted the Estcourt News during the past month in an effort to find out how and why taxis are diverting from the taxi rank and turning streets into informal car washes.
Businesses negatively affected
A small business owner, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being victimised, said that when taxis started parking at the bottom of Harding Street, it affected business.
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“First, there is no place for customers to park, so they will take their business somewhere else. Second, the drivers are known to become aggressive with people who ask them to move. Also, the area outside is wet all the time. Our businesses are suffering,” commented the business owner.
Another resident who called the Estcourt News asked if the town’s by-laws allow for informal taxi ranks and illegal car washes.
“There must be mechanisms in place when a car wash is being operated, like trapping the oil. Right now, all of these contaminants are going straight into the storm-water drains. Surely this is unacceptable?” said the resident.
Other questions centred on who is paying for the water being used at the illegal car washes and why isn’t the municipality’s protection services enforcing the town’s by-laws.
No response from the municipality
These and other questions were sent to Inkosi Langalibalele Local Municipality on April 18.
Weekly reminders have remained unanswered.
This is unfortunate, as most of the concerns raised by the community required attention from the local municipality.
Taxi association responds
The Estcourt News spoke to Estcourt & District Taxi Owners Association vice-chairperson Meshack Shelembe about the residents’ concerns.
Mr Shelembe said the association was aware of taxis parking in areas other than the taxi rank, but said this was for ‘relaxing purposes’.
“The taxi drivers at Princess Park pick up schoolchildren, so they relax there; they do not wash cars. At the bowling club, the drivers who transport people to Durban park there. They told us that the taxi rank in Alexandra Street is unsafe. These areas should not be used for washing cars, because the municipality has provided a place for washing vehicles at the rank,” commented Mr Shelembe.
He said that while the association has not received complaints from the public, he would address the issue of car washes.
Water leak
Providing an unending water supply for the car wash business at the bottom of Harding Street is a water leak.
uThukela District Municipality was told about this leak.
Communications manager Jabulani Mkhonza said that a team had visited the area after an enquiry from the Estcourt News.
“Our technical team visited the site to assess the area and the impact of the alleged leak. They discovered that the leak is due to ageing infrastructure, whereby water is seeping through the Telkom line to the chamber next to a business premises. We are still looking for the actual leak. It may take some time, since the teams are required to open trial holes,” commented Mkhonza.
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