Durban – The KwaZulu-Natal chapter of the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) will hold its Annual General Meeting this week, with the recent killings over taxi routes set to dominate proceedings.
The two-day (20-21 April) gathering will see affiliates from all parts of KwaZulu-Natal converging to Oceans Convention Centre in Durban, to discuss issues affecting the industry.
Santaco KZN spokesperson Sithembiso Shangase described the meeting as one of the key gatherings in the transport industry in KZN this year.
“We have had a challenge of the killings that seem to be related to disputes in the province, and we expect this to be one of the focus areas when delegates hold discussions, and we hope that everlasting solutions will be found on the matter,” Shangase told ‘The Mercury’ on Tuesday.
In March this year two taxi owners were gunned down in Berea, Durban in what many believe is linked to disputes.
Santaco KZN chairperson Boy Zondi will open the gathering where he is expected to highlight successes and the challenges that face the industry in recent times. He is also expected to speak about how rising petrol prices in recent times are impacting on the industry’s ability to operate profitably.
Shangase noted how the public transport industry has grown in recent times, singling out the emergence of scholar transport and e-hailing services as some of the aspects that have impacted in the taxi industry.
Santaco is a key lobby group within the public transport sector in South Africa.