Angry taxi owners yesterday prevented three Mayibuye buses from operating, claiming they were operating on taxi routes and without valid permits.
The stationary Mayibuye Transport Co-operation (MTC) buses were surrounded by taxi owners and operators at the Highway Taxi rank in Mdantsane while they waited for MTC management. The buses were later released to MTC.
On Wednesday taxi bosses prevented MTC buses from operating in Reeston.
Yesterday, Mdantsane NU1 police station commander Colonel Ngamlana Nkwali and Major-General Henry Vos were among officers at the scene alongside East London Public Order Policing and Mdantsane visible policing units.
Nkwali urged the taxi operators to hand over the keys to the three buses to avoid being charged with hijacking.
However, Mdantsane police spokesman Captain Nkosikho Mzuku confirmed that no case had been opened.
“Both parties will be having a meeting with the department of transport to clarify their differences,” he said.
Taxi public relations officer Welile Blayi said they had first consulted MTC about their buses, which were travelling in taxi routes without valid permits, on Monday, prior taking action.
“At the time the newly appointed CEO said they did not have enough knowledge about the operations at MTC, and asked for more time to investigate and get back to us with the relevant documentation, and assured us that no vehicles would travel on routes which they shouldn’t.
“We decided to meet again where they can issue us all the permits and relevant documentation to support their case.
“However, our officials stopped the buses when they saw them travelling within the Mdantsane units, where the buses have no permits to do so,” he said.
A taxi owner, Luvuyo Baliso, said traffic officials did not hesitate to charge taxis travelling routes for which they had no permits and slap them with R2500 fines.
“The entity that is failing to stick to the transport laws is killing our business and they are getting away with it because they are the state, and that must stop,” he said.
The Daily Dispatch learned that while taxi operators charge R13.50 from Highway in Mdantsane to town and R8.50 from among the units, buses charge only R10 from Oxford Street up to NU16, a difference of more than 100%, saving consumers R13.
MTC spokeswoman Bongiwe Solwandle vehemently denied they were illegally operating on the routes.
“All our buses have been issued with permits by the department of transport, which issues the operator licences and permits,” she said.
“Yes our operations were impacted negatively as the buses did not complete their duties and had to offload passengers.”
Provincial transport spokeswoman Khuselwa Rantjie had not commented at the time of writing. — mbalit@dispatch.co.za
Taxi owners stop buses in dispute over permits
The stationary Mayibuye Transport Co-operation (MTC) buses were surrounded by taxi owners and operators at the Highway Taxi rank in Mdantsane while they waited for MTC management. The buses were later released to MTC.
On Wednesday taxi bosses prevented MTC buses from operating in Reeston.
Yesterday, Mdantsane NU1 police station commander Colonel Ngamlana Nkwali and Major-General Henry Vos were among officers at the scene alongside East London Public Order Policing and Mdantsane visible policing units.
Nkwali urged the taxi operators to hand over the keys to the three buses to avoid being charged with hijacking.
However, Mdantsane police spokesman Captain Nkosikho Mzuku confirmed that no case had been opened.
“Both parties will be having a meeting with the department of transport to clarify their differences,” he said.
Taxi public relations officer Welile Blayi said they had first consulted MTC about their buses, which were travelling in taxi routes without valid permits, on Monday, prior taking action.
“At the time the newly appointed CEO said they did not have enough knowledge about the operations at MTC, and asked for more time to investigate and get back to us with the relevant documentation, and assured us that no vehicles would travel on routes which they shouldn’t.
“We decided to meet again where they can issue us all the permits and relevant documentation to support their case.
“However, our officials stopped the buses when they saw them travelling within the Mdantsane units, where the buses have no permits to do so,” he said.
A taxi owner, Luvuyo Baliso, said traffic officials did not hesitate to charge taxis travelling routes for which they had no permits and slap them with R2500 fines.
“The entity that is failing to stick to the transport laws is killing our business and they are getting away with it because they are the state, and that must stop,” he said.
The Daily Dispatch learned that while taxi operators charge R13.50 from Highway in Mdantsane to town and R8.50 from among the units, buses charge only R10 from Oxford Street up to NU16, a difference of more than 100%, saving consumers R13.
MTC spokeswoman Bongiwe Solwandle vehemently denied they were illegally operating on the routes.
“All our buses have been issued with permits by the department of transport, which issues the operator licences and permits,” she said.
“Yes our operations were impacted negatively as the buses did not complete their duties and had to offload passengers.”
Provincial transport spokeswoman Khuselwa Rantjie had not commented at the time of writing. — mbalit@dispatch.co.za
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