Taxis battle over new mall

Barely 14 days after the Gillwell Taxi Retail Park opened its doors, East London taxi operators are at war over its shoppers.

Since Monday operators from four taxi associations have been embroiled in violent altercations amid claims that long-distance operators affiliated with the East London Taxi Association (Elta) occupied the mall’s taxi rank “illegally” on Wednesday last week.

The fighting involves members of Elta against those of the Uncedo Taxi Association, the Mdantsane East London Taxi Association (Meta) and the Mdantsane, East London and District Taxi Association (Melta), who have formed a forum.

Commuters and other taxi operators claim they have been caught in the bitter war with some reporting man-handling and incidents of assault on Monday and Tuesday.

These were reported after scores of forum members, who ferry long-distance commuters from the East London central business district (CBD), marched to the new rank and blocked all operations on Monday.

Their grievance is that Elta has breached an agreement that allows only short-distance drivers on routes like Scenery Park, Orange Grove, East London Airport and Willow Park to operate at the rank.

The forum members say their business is being killed as they offer long-distance services from the CBD rank, which is less than a kilometre from the new mall.

“You can’t come to a place where I am selling a service and sit right next to me and sell the same thing.

“Obviously there will be conflicts, because these people have moved from their place and have now invaded this mall illegally.

“We can’t be expected to be happy about that,” said Uncedo’s Vuyani Mbewu.

On Monday shoppers alleged they had been man-handled by “angry” men who forced them out of taxis telling them that no vehicle would leave the premises.

Commuter Asanele Ndoyana said: “We were shocked … People were forcefully moved from the taxis and most of us are not even long-distance commuters but everyone was affected. People were scared … thinking shots would be fired.”

Police and Buffalo City Metro traffic officers were sent to the mall when the chaos broke out on Monday.

When the long-distance operators were kicked out of the rank they occupied a parking lot designated for the vehicles of shoppers.

Police said no one was injured on Monday, but two taxi operators were allegedly assaulted yesterday.

Taxi owner Sakhumzi Zanankosi said: “I was shocked when a man started shouting and insulting me saying we were starting a war on their land.

“He punched me and poked me so many times, chasing me away from the premises.”

Gillwell Mall retail asset manager Byron Wilson expressed disappointment about what he described as “weakness” from the taxi associations’ management team.

Wilson said they were saddened to hear of how the altercation had affected shoppers.

“The agreement was that we would provide facilities and the representatives from taxi associations would manage the routes.

“We are still liaising with the authorities and municipality to try and resolve the matter.”

“We hope that within a day or two the problem will be resolved as customers are the main priority. Without customers there is no retailer and no business for the taxi drivers,” Wilson said.

By late yesterday taxi associations were locked in a meeting with municipal officials.

Elta chairman Xolile Ngwendu said they had decided to move into the rank after they saw the demand for the long-distance service and the success of it.

“When the negotiations started around 2004 there were plans to accommodate buses and long-distance taxis but as the plans progressed that plan was cut out.

“After the mall was opened and we saw that everyone was accommodated, we saw a space for long-distance and decided to move in,” Ngwendu said.

The long-distance routes include Mthatha, Port Elizabeth and former Transkei areas.

Ngwendu said: “We have no problem with sharing the space with them but they have not come back to us concerning that proposal.” — mamelag@dispatch.co.za