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Taxi rank construction delay causes disruption
Visiting Maxwell Street last week, the ZO was greeted by irate taxi operators who accused the City of uMhlathuze of failing to deliver on its promises
DELAYS in construction work of the Lot 63 taxi rank in Empangeni are causing concern among both businesses and taxi commuters.
Visiting Maxwell Street last week, the ZO was greeted by irate taxi operators who accused the City of uMhlathuze of failing to deliver on its promises.
One driver said while they were grateful for the taxi rank revamp and expansion, they were getting impatient with the lack of progress.
‘Traffic congestion is high on this road and this has been a very challenging period, not only for taxi drivers, but also for motorists in general.
‘We were told this project would only take about four months before completion, but we have now waited for more than 12 weeks.’
ALSO READ: Empangeni taxi rank upgrade almost complete
Another rank manager, who wished to remain anonymous, said the biggest challenge was parking space.
‘We fight a lot for parking space with other motorists, who now avoid shops in the area knowing they have taxi operators to compete with.
‘Come here during peak hours and you will see what I’m talking about,’ the manager said.
‘A business owner said since the taxis were moved from Lot 63 Rank to Maxwell Street, they have been unable to park their cars in front of their businesses.
‘It becomes even more difficult if we have deliveries to make, which normally requires more space,’ he said.
City Communications Manager Mdu Ncalane asked for patience.
‘We know the project has been delayed a bit, but we are now in the last phase,’ he said.
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