Kokosi’s main taxi rank is not in the condition that it should be.
The Herald recently visited the taxi rank in Ben Shiburi Street with a councillor, Ms Annett Venter. According to her, many residents have complained about the state of the facility. Not only is the road leading to the facility full of potholes but there are also no benches for members of the public to sit on. At the time of the Herald’s visit, there were also various issues linked to water.
The women who cook food for people making use of the taxi rank do not have running water in their kitchen and the nearest tap is several metres away, on the other side of a new building that has not yet been opened to the public. There was also only one toilet in working condition.
“The health conditions at this taxi rank are terrible and I have no idea when the municipality is going to open the new buildings. I am worried because many people make use of this facility and they can get sick because there is no water. There are also many women with children and elderly people who visit the taxi rank. How are they supposed to cope without any seats?”
Venter told the Herald that she has been asking the municipality to do something about these problems for years. When the Herald spoke to the municipality about them, the spokesperson said potholes are addressed according to a schedule and would receive attention in due course. He said the taps that had been previously installed in the taxi rank were damaged, stolen or abused by vandals. “It is the duty of the taxi association, as end users, to safeguard them,” he said.
The municipality says the buildings that were upgraded will be opened to the public in due course.
