Karabo Ntanzi
A battle involving the Sol Plaatje Municipality and Kimberley Local Taxi Association is looming over the usage of the Bultfontein Road. The reason for the scuffle comes after taxi operators affiliated with the association returned to park their minibus taxis on the road. Last year, the municipality closed a part of Bultfontein Road in Kimberley after De Beers Group alerted them that one side of the Big Hole pit might cave in.
Following engagements between the association and the municipality, hundreds of taxis that used a part of this particular road to wait in line for the nearby taxi rank relocated to the Indian Centre after business operators complained that taxis were blockading their business operations.
The move to the Indian center led to some informal traders operating at Bultfontein Road closing down due to a lack of business.
A fuming David Lebona, Chairperson of Kimberley Local Taxi Association, said they decided to return to the Bultfontein road after the municipality’s alleged failure to fulfill its promises.
” I have instructed our taxi drivers to occupy the road because the municipality has failed us. They have been unable to take care of the needs of our queue marshals as per our agreement. The Sol Plaatje Municipality had also failed to address the issue of minibus taxis operating without permits. They had promised that their law enforcement officials would deal with pirating taxis, but to this day, we have many taxis operating without permits, “He said.
Despite the municipality’s renovation of the taxi rand at the Indian Centre, Lebona complained that the center was too far for their taxis.
Lebona explained that they wouldn’t use the Indian Centre until the municipality had addressed their concern.
The Sol Plaatje Municipality was unavailable for comment.
Meanwhile, the Department of Transport, Safety and Liaison says it is attending to taxi operators still waiting for operating licenses after several taxi operators blockaded the roads in the CBD on Thursday morning, demanding the Department to issue them with operating permits.
The Department says it has asked operators to come back with their applications for verification purposes and receive updates on their applications.
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