Residents came in their numbers to a meeting, hosted by City Property (a private company who manage the mall), regarding the upgrade of the Killarney taxi rank.
According to the chairman of the New Killarney Riviera Association (NKRA), Wayne Ford, several trustees raised their concerns prior to the meeting. This was after the group We Love Killarney informed them that City Property would commence work on 6 May, building metal structures on the pavements to develop the ‘illegal taxi rank’.
The letter from the We Love Killarney group to the residents read, “It is with much gratitude that we thank City Property for their significant contribution to the upliftment of Killarney. They have committed a large capital outlay to upgrade the existing taxi rank. It is fundamentally important that it is included as a fixture in our community as it provides access to transport to many residents and staff members in our community.”
The letter continued to outline proposed solutions for some of the concerns of residents, including ablution facilities, which would be constructed to combat public urination and litter.
However, according to NKRA, the trustees said they had not been consulted about the development of the taxi rank currently located on 1st Street in Killarney, which is filled with ‘informal traders’ who sell drugs and alcohol on those pavements.
In response to the letter, the association said that they had publicly stated that they would support any project, by any party, that makes things better for the residents of Killarney. “However, we certainly will not support any project that undermines Killarney as a good place to live or to invest, and we certainly will not support any project that bypasses the legal requirements. The NKRA was never consulted on this project to formalise the illegal taxi rank.”
Peter Kruger from City Property, who chaired the meeting on 15 May, said the purpose of the meeting was to hear the residents’ concerns about the matter and they would not give a final decision yet.
Some of the residents’ concerns were:
- City Property did not follow proper procedure and should be more transparent
- Suggest the rank is situated in the downstairs parking section of the mall
- Give an indication that taxi associations were consulted.
The meeting concluded with residents agreeing to form a committee based on representatives from the various residential buildings to oversee the matter.
Details: City Property www.cityproperty.co.za; New Killarney Riviera Association www.nkra.org.za
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