Durban taxi strike called off after breakthrough talks with government

21hours ago · 2 min read

By GlobalZa

The Durban taxi strike has been called off after talks between government and the eThekwini Metro Taxi Council. A task team will address daily issues while new e-hailing regulations are expected within 21 days.

Durban taxi strike called off following breakthrough talks with government

The week-long taxi stayaway that left commuters across Durban stranded has officially been called off following successful talks between government officials and the eThekwini Metro Taxi Council (EMTC).

The meeting, led by Transport Department officials and eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba, brought together key stakeholders to resolve tensions that had sparked the shutdown of taxi services.

Among the issues discussed was the regulation of the e-hailing sector, which has long been a source of friction with the taxi industry. According to officials, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has committed to gazetting new regulations within 21 days, a move welcomed as a stabilising step.

Other key outcomes of the meeting included the establishment of a joint task team that will meet daily to resolve operational challenges, as well as plans for a broader indaba that will bring together taxi associations, e-hailing services and government to craft long-term solutions for the transport sector.

Speaking on behalf of the EMTC, Chairperson Mathula Mkhize apologised to commuters for the disruption, saying the strike was meant to highlight unresolved grievances but had caused undue hardship to communities.

“We want to categorically apologise for the inconveniences that have taken place in the past days. We have made a pact to work with government and to deliver a safe and dignified public transport service,” Mkhize said.

He further pledged that the taxi industry would begin working more closely with other modes of transport, while also addressing concerns around driver behaviour, road safety and industry reputation.

Government officials stressed their commitment to safeguarding the millions of commuters who rely on taxis daily, with 70% of Durban’s population depending on the sector for transport.

With the stayaway now lifted, taxi operations are expected to resume fully, bringing relief to residents across eThekwini.