eThekwini Taxi Strike: Santaco’s Indefinite Shutdown Leaves Commuters Stranded

Commuters across eThekwini were left scrambling for transport on Thursday after the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) announced an indefinite shutdown.

The strike follows the impounding of more than two dozen taxis in Clermont for operating without permits, sparking anger among operators and escalating tensions with city officials.

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Santaco has accused municipal officials and the Department of Transport of unfair practices, calling for urgent intervention from the provincial government.

Santaco’s provincial spokesperson, Sifiso Shangase, explained the decision:

“Well, we need to clarify that the stay away is continuing in Durban. Because there are challenges that Santaco has had with officials from the municipality, and the Department of Transport, who were all part of the meeting which ended this morning at 01:30 AM.”

The standoff has left thousands of commuters with no choice but to find alternative—and often more expensive—transport options.

Taxi Council Still in Talks, but No End in Sight

Despite marathon discussions overnight, no agreement has been reached.

Shangase added:

“We are continuing with discussions and hopefully an amicable solution will be found soon. The commuters will be affected on the ground if there are no vehicles operating. How are they going to go to work and indeed, it’s a shutdown of some sort.”

For now, the shutdown remains in place, with no clear timeline for when Durban’s taxi services will return to normal.

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