May 10, 2008

Police keep close eye on troubled taxi rank

A STRONG police contingent kept a close eye on the troubled Kuyasa taxi rank yesterday after days of tension threatened to erupt into a full-blown war.

Buffalo City traffic officers and police members descended on the Mdantsane rank for a second day after rival associations blockaded the site on Wednesday. Taxi drivers watched while officers checked driver’s licences.

Although no violence erupted yesterday, drivers and owners were furious about the cost of the delays to their business.

One taxi driver said they were losing money, as the “chaos” was happening only during the morning peak hours.

“This is costing us dearly, as this interrupts our routine working conditions and we end up earning a lot less than we normally would,” he said.

Uncedo Taxi Association’s Lungile David, whose group has been at the centre of a dispute with rival factions, said they were happy the blockade had been stopped.

At least one taxi boss has been killed, and another narrowly escaped an assassination attempt last week.

http://www.dispatch.co.za/article.aspx?id=200499