Sekwaba nezinguquko eziningi kwezokuthutha eThekwini
Babekhungatheka abagibeli boHlanga ngowe-1973 emabhasini akwakopeletsheni waseThekwini ayegitshelwa yibona, ayenombala oluhlaza okotshani, edume ngokuthi iGreen Mamba. Kwakucishe kugibele kuGreen Mamba, abelungu ababehlala eWindermere, eGreyville, eStamfordhill, ku-Argyle, kuLambert Road. Amabhasi ayesahambela emajalidini aseDurban North nezindawo ezakhelene neTheku. Abelungu babegibela amabhasi ayenombala owawusasibhakabhaka ngokuphashile kancane. Umbala walawo mabhasi yilowana wesitobhi samabhasi ayegitshelwa ngabelungu esingaphesheya kwamahhovisi entela uSARS, emgwaqeni uDkt Pixley ka Isaka Seme edolobheni eThekwini.
Kanti amabhasi akwakopeletsheni wasePietermaritzburg, manje osekuwuMasipala uMsunduzi, ayegitshelwa ngaboHlanga ayenombala oluhlaza. Ayema kanye namatekisi ngezansi kwasesiteshini esibizwa iPietermaritzburg. Kwakunezitobhi zamabhasi abagibeli babelungu, ezabagibeli boHlanga nezinye izinhlanga. Manje akusahlukanisiwe ukugitshelwa kanye nokuthuthwa kwabagibeli ezweni.
Izinto zakwakopeletsheni waseThekwini ezazihamba ngamasondo zazinombhalo uNDC okwakumele uNatal Durban Co-operation. Uma ngingaphosisi, umsebenzi kwezokuthutha wawuphathiswe uMnu uCuthbert bese kuthi ezakwakopeletsheni wasePietermaritzburg zazibhalwe uNPC, okwakuyisifinyezo sikaNatal Pietermaritzburg Co-operation.
Amabhasi akwakopeletsheni waseThekwini ayengahambeli emalokishini okuwuMashu, uMlazi, iNtuzuma, iNanda-Newton eMatendeni, kuGwalas House phezulu eMachobeni ngalowo nyaka. Ayehambela eLamontville naseChesterville. Phambilini kwakudlinzelwa imigwaqo yasemalokishini aboHlanga ukuthi yayingakulungele ukuhamba amabhasi akwakopeletsheni. Kwakuhamba ugandaganda phecelezi amabhasi akwaPublic Utility Transport Co-operation, uPUTCO, ikakhulukazi nasemigwaqeni eyayimigubane.
Kwaba nezinguquko kwezokuthutha emabhasini akwakopeletsheni ngasekupheleni kowe-1980. Kwabizwa ngoDurban Transport Management Board, uDTMB esehambela nakula malokishi abalulwe ngenhla. Kwabanezinguquko futhi, amabhasi abesebhalwa uDurban Transport njengoba namanje esabhalwe kanjalo. Sekunokuphawula ngezinguquko ngamabhasi amasha kaMasipala ahambela elokishini laseMlazi. Kuphawula ngokuthi kothi uma esemadala anikezwe abagibeli bakwaMashu, baseNtuzuma, baseNandaNewtown, bakuGwalas House phezulu eMachobeni. Hleze abantu bayalibala ukuthi ilokishi laseMlazi lingelikhulu kunawo wonke lapha kwelikaMthaniya nokungaba yisizathu salokho esabangela ukuba lolu hlobo olusha lwamabhasi luqalwe eMlazi.
Kwakwenzeka kusengukopeletsheni abelungu behlinzekwa ngamabhasi ayesezingeni elalicokeme. Kwakuthi lapho eseqala ukuba madala, amanye awo adluliselwe kwaboHlanga, uma esakulungele ukuhamba emgwaqeni. Kodwa kwakungewona wonke amabhasi ayedluliselwa kubagibeli boHlanga. Ayethengwa namabhasi amasha ayezogitshelwa ngaboHlanga.
Sekwaba nohlobo lwamabhasi olucishe lufane namabhasi ayegitshelwa ngabelungu eThekwini. La mabhasi abizwa ngokuthi iPeople Mover –The way the City Moves. Lubonakala ngengxenye yendawo yabagibeli abame ngezinyawo, ehlukanisiwe ukuba bangagxobeki abagibeli abahlezi ezihlalweni ngoba iphakeme indawo yabagibeli abahlezi ezihlalweni.
Zazingavunyelwe izithuthi ezazigitshelwa ezinye izinhlanga ukungena enkabeni yedolobha iTheku ngasemgwaqeni uWest Street manje osubizwa ngoDr Pixley ka Isaka Seme kanye noSmith Street osuwu-Anton Lembede Street. Kwakusengamabhasi kakopeletsheni waseThekwini ayehambisa abagibeli boHlanga ababesebenza emajalidini abelungu eDurban North, eLa Lucia, eMhlanga, koMusgrave ukukha phezulu. Lawo mabhasi ayebashiya futhi abalande ngaserenki yamabhasi emgwaqeni uVictoria Street manje osekuwuBertha Mkhize Street ngasesiteshini iBerea.
Phela yayingaphushwa nakancane eyamatekisi neyamabhasi ezinhlanga ezahlukahlukene njengoba manje sesiwabona esegcwele lonke iTheku. Amatekisi namabhasi asethutha nabagibeli bezinhlanga ezahlukahlukene. Amatekisi agqama ekuthutheni abagibeli phakathi eThekwini sekuya ngasekupheleni kweminyaka yowe-1980. Ukopeletsheni waletha uhlobo lwezithuthi lwezithuthuthu ezinamasondo amathathu olwalubizwa ngeTuk-tuk. Ngowe-1990 ukopeletsheni waletha uhlobo lwamabhasi olubizwa ngoMynah olusaqhubeka nokuhambela zonke izindawo eziseThekwini kuze kube manje.
Wasikaza ukopeletsheni ngowe-1990 ukunika abazimele amabhasi ahambela emalokishini phecelezi ithenda. Kwaze kuguqulwa nemibhalo yawo eyayiwuNDC yaba-uNatal Durban, uND. Abonakala amabhasi esebhalwe uND ngisho nawayehambela emalokishini aboHlanga.
Abashayeli boHlanga emabhasini akwakopeletsheni bake bateleka bekhombisa ukungayethembi le nto okuthiwa ithenda ukuthi yabe izosebenza kahle. Abashayeli boHlanga babefuna ukuba nabashayeli bezinye izinhlanga bashayele amabhasi ahambela ezindaweni zaboHlanga bangagcini nje ngokushayela amabhasi ayehambela eThekwini nezindawo eziseduzane nalo. Nabo aboHlanga bavunyelwe ukuwashayela. Ngamanye amazwi kungakhethwa iphela emasini ekushayeleni amabhasi kakopeletsheni. Kwaze kwangenelela umphakathi wabamhlophe nabagibeli babamhlophe ababephawula kwelinye lamaphephandaba abhala ngolimi lwesiNgisi. Bezwelana nabashayeli ababetelekile. Lwamiswa lolo hlelo lwethenda emabhasini ukopeletsheni ngowe-1990. Amabhasi abuyela kuNDC.
Sekuwumlando ukuthi inguquko yethenda ayisebenzanga kahle emabhasini emva konyaka wezi-2000, sekubizwa uNatal Durban Metro, uNDM. Abanye babashayeli bashaywa ngemfe iphindiwe. Ayibange isabonakala inqubo ecacile yezikhathi phecelezi ‘itimetable’ zokusebenza kwala mabhasi. Amabhasi aseyafa nawo endleleni njengawakwaPUTCO into eyayingenzeki esaphethwe ukopeletsheni. Amabhasi ake aswele nodizili ngoba ungekho emadepho, ukukha phezulu.