Subsequently the Provincial Taxi Office revised its
decision and withdrew its initial ruling pending the
appeal by the CTA. But a technicality in the wording
of the appeal document submitted by the CTA saw the
Provincial Taxi Office reverting to its first rule
i.e the ruling seen by the Chesterville Taxi Association
as favouring the CMTA.
Kingdom Mngomezulu, chairperson of the CTA, told
IZWI that his association was surprised when officials
of the CMTA presented a letter signed by the Registrar
preventing the CTA from using certain routes in Cato
Manor.
"We were a bit taken aback by this action, especially
because we were not aware that the routes were in
contention, and we had advised them in good faith
to register their association before the closing date.
The letter came as an insult and undermines our offer
to them to work the area as one taxi association.
We have extended a hand of friendship to the CMTA
and it has been blatantly refused," said the
chairperson. IZWI is working around the clock to get
comment for CMTA.
Routes in contention The routes that are in contention
are New Dunbar Road which leads to Emazenzeni and
follows through to Borough Road and eventually ends
up at Nsimbini. The CTA claims to have sole rights
to that route but have always let the CMTA use it
because there were enough passengers for all to share.
Another route that is being hotly contested is the
route which leads to the New Durban Academic Hospital
which the CTA have been using without competition
from other taxi associations. The CMTA have applied
for the use of that route. Adding more fuel to the
fire is the loading and unloading of passengers from
the intersection at Candella and New Dunbar Road.
The CMTA is alleged to have physically stopped CTA
taxi operators from picking up or dropping off passengers
from that point to Brickfield Road in Mayville. For
now, peace hangs on a decision which will be taken
by a special tribunal set up by the Provincial Taxi
Office which will decide on which association controls
what route.
But what is gazetted on the KwaZulu Natal Interim
Minibus Taxi Act in terms of section 50 (1) of the
KwaZulu-Natal Taxi Act is that the CMTA is registered
to use the following routes: Cato Manor to Durban
via Borough Road, Dunbar Road, Putney Road, Wiggins
Road, Sunderland Road, Booth Road, Umkhumbaan Road,
Ridgeview Road and Francois Road.
The Chesterville Taxi Association's registered routes
are: Chesterville Extension 1&2, Booth Road, Francois
Road, Chesterville Taxi Rank, Cato Manor Hospital,
Wiggins Road and New Dunbar Road.
