eThekwini Municipality officials were expected to hold a meeting with taxi operators on Wednesday to find solutions to the lack of a designated public transport space for taxis near the Oceans Mall in Durban.
The gathering follows a protest by at least 40 taxis which blocked off the M4 and Lighthouse Road in Umhlanga on Tuesday.
The demonstration led to hours of congestion and caused frustration among motorists and businesses operating in the area.
On Tuesday, Sifiso Shangase, the KwaZulu-Natal manager for the SA National Taxi Council, told News24 they felt aggrieved after a street they were using as a taxi rank was barricaded near the newly opened mall.
The development in Umhlanga includes a hotel, shopping plaza and luxury residential properties.
Shangase said they wanted the concrete barricades to be removed, pending the finalisation of talks around parking and the operation of taxis in the area.
After an intense stand-off on Tuesday, which saw some of the taxi drivers being arrested, the barricades were removed.
eThekwini metro police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Boysie Zungu said taxis would be allowed to continue using Ridge Road near Oceans Mall while they deliberated on a long-term solution, together with other stakeholders.
On Wednesday, Vivian Reddy, who is one of the developers of the R4.3 billion development, told Newsembassy it was up to the municipality to find a solution with taxi operators.
“We are running a private business,” he said.
Reddy and his business partner, Rob Alexander, are currently facing a legal challenge from other businesses in Umhlanga.
Like Shangase, the businesses claim Reddy and Alexander were given the go-ahead for construction under the expectation they would build a public transport hub underneath the Oceans structure.
According to a previous News24 report in 2021, Oceans approached the municipality, saying it had challenges and proposed a “co-funding” solution.
The majority of councillors, led by the ANC, voted to pay R128.5 million towards the costs.
Later, the City told Oceans it could not afford the cost.
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Further to the latest strike by taxi operators, Reddy insisted Oceans had no obligations to build an underground taxi hub.
Reddy said:
He said while the meeting between City officials and taxi operators involved no other businesses, they planned to send an observer if allowed.
Meanwhile, eThekwini spokesperson Gugu Sisilana added they were finalising consultations on a new holding area for taxis and buses.
“The site has already been identified,” she said.
