A planned inspection of the R40 billion Go!Durban project was brought a halt
on Friday after taxi operators blockaded Pinetown Civic Centre demanding to speak to the KZN MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Bheki Ntuli.
The taxis allegedly from Pinetown, Clermont, KwaDabeka and Molweni, entered the civic centre parking area and blocked the transport that was waiting to take the minister, his staff, senior managers of eThekwini Transport Authority (ETA), councillors and media on the tour. The inspections however did not commence as planned as members of Santaco, MEC and eThekwini Municipality went into a closed meeting which took approximately two hours.
Ntuli said that there has been embattlement between the industry and the Go! Durban project which have not been addressed fully. Santaco regional chairperson Mathula Mkhize said that they have “caught the MEC with the eThekwini Municipality having an unknown programme in relation with the Go! Durban project.”
He said: “We as the industry would like to state that we have no hope and no willingness to support this programme based on the deliverables that the city for the past years and currently has failed to deliver for the
taxi industry.
Mkhize said that they have issues with “principles of agreement” that their industry and the city have engaged on before any construction have started.
A further meeting had been scheduled for Tuesday however, Santaco said that they could not comment on the meeting until they have issued a statement. The Department
of Transport could not be reached for comment at the time of print. The Go!Durban project is an integrated bus transport system which will link areas north, west and south of the city. “Ultimately, GO!Durban seeks to revolutionise the face of public transport in the province.
“The implementation of the Integrated Rapid Public Transport Network was targeted to unlock the economic potential and provide strategic links across the City. Another crucial aspect of this project is that there will be empowerment opportunities for all existing legal minibus and small bus operators,” the department of transport said in a statement.
