Drivers’ strike the worst in years
THERE is a distinct hate-hate relationship between Durban taxi drivers and the city’s metro police force. For years, the two groups have been at each other’s throats, and this week the simmering tensions bubbled over in violent protests.
Several times over the past five years, taxi owners have gone on strike – or, at the very least, have threatened to go on strike – over what they call “unfair” treatment by the city’s police department. On several occasions they have called for metro police head Eugene Nzama to be axed from his post.
In response, metro police argue that taxis are by far the worst culprits when it comes to traffic violations. At one point, it was said that about 80 percent of the city’s worst traffic offenders were taxi drivers.
This week, however, was arguably the worst clash in recent years. Some taxi bosses protested outside the metro police headquarters on Thursday, complaining that they were being unfairly targeted by officers. The strikes quickly turned violent, with drivers pulling people out of non-striking taxis and damaging municipal vehicles.
Some drivers hurled stones at and attacked drivers who did not participate in the strike, leading to gridlocked roads as police tried to restore order. About 60 people have been arrested since the start of the strike.
Taxi bosses have handed over a memorandum to the metro police demanding, among other things, that all tickets must be written in Zulu, and that no white or Indian officers must issue tickets because the drivers don’t speak English. They also want no enforcement during morning or afternoon peak periods, and demand to be allowed to drop off or pick up passengers anywhere.
With metro police unwilling to concede to these demands, and with the taxi drivers stand- ing their ground, it is unclear how long the violent protest might continue.
But this is certainly not the first time the two have clashed.
In September 2008, taxi drivers from North Beach and South Beach threatened to go on strike after 40 of their taxis were impounded for various offences.
It came just two months after another, albeit brief, protest against metro police.
The biggest protest action before this week’s came in April 2010, just months before the World Cup. Taxi owners across the city went on a surprise strike, catching city officials, businesses and commuters completely off guard. Following the same theme of complaints, the taxi associations said they were being unfairly treated by metro police.
In this particular dispute, the issue was over vehicles being impounded for not having route permits. The drivers claimed this was because the Department of Transport had delayed the delivery of the permits.
During the strike, it was commuters and local businesses who suffered. Many people were left stranded and businesses with severely depleted workforces. Many schools reported as low as 50 percent turnout for classes.
While the taxi bosses com- plain, metro police officials are adamant that they are not acting outside the law or unfairly.
They state that the amount and value of fines issued to taxi drivers is indicative of the general lawlessness of the industry.
Towards the end of 2010, the Sunday Tribune revealed that just 10 taxis owe the municipality more than R1.5m in unpaid fines for various offences. One taxi, GLAYER6 ZN, has 381 outstanding fines, amounting to R179 400.
But KZN Transport Alliance secretary general Bafana Mhlongo denied this was because of lawlessness, but rather because of an “orchestrated campaign by the metro police targeting the taxi industry, aimed at making money”.
“We are of the view that we are targeted by the metro police. At every corner and all over the place you find roadblocks simply aimed at stopping and fining taxis,” he said.
Metro police, obviously, disagree and deny any specific targeting of taxi bosses. With this likely to be an ongoing issue, this week’s protest action won’t be the last seen in Durban.
matthew.savides@inl.co.za