Durban taxi strike leaves street vendors counting losses as commuters stay home
Durban's taxi strike: A double blow for commuters and street vendors.
Image: Doctor Ngcobo
The impact of the two-day taxi strike called by the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) on Thursday is being felt not only by commuters but also by informal traders.
Food vendor Ndumiso Mtolo said he was forced to return home with unsold stock, after regular customers failed to arrive.
"This is a very unusual situation because I usually walk around and sell pastries to people in the morning," Mtolo told IOL. "However, because most of my customers use taxis, sales were down this morning."
He added that the few people he managed to interact with had travelled to work using buses or lifts from colleagues instead of taxis.
The strike, which started on Thursday and is expected to last two days, has disrupted public transport across Durban, leaving thousands stranded and creating knock-on effects for local businesses.
While there is no specific current count of all hawkers in Durban, an eThekwini Municipality document from 2020 estimates that the city has 150,000 informal vendors.
These informal traders rely on foot traffic which is missing in the city currently.
Formal businesses have also been hit hard as workers were not able to make it to work in the morning. A Glenore Spar had to alert customers that it would not be business as usual due to staff shortage.
"Dear customers, due to the taxi strike, we are short staffed and doing the best we can. Please be patient with us," the store said in leaflet.
Ongoing taxi strike in Durban disrupts transport for thousands.
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Santaco spokesperson Sphamandla Ndaba said last week, 30 taxis were impounded by the authorities west of Durban.
"They told them that they did not have operating permits. So, now, they are attempting to put forth their grievances because even when they do apply for permits, it takes a long time for them to be processed," said Ndaba. "Some were impounded because the number plates don't correspond with the taxis due to the change in the system."
Ndaba said taxi associations across the region joined in solidarity with their Clermont contemporaries.
IOL News