Construction of the multi-million rand Somerset West Public Transport Interchange began just two weeks ago and already the discomfort to taxi drivers and their passengers is slowly reaching boiling point.
This is partly due to the fact that the construction work has pushed out taxi’s from the Somerset West taxi rank in the CBD, and with no decision yet from the City of Cape Town on a suitable temporary holding area, the Shoprite parking area has become an unofficial holding site. This is despite threats from the City that this will not be tolerated and is subject to law enforcement as the parking area is not designated for taxis.
The area around Shoprite is where chaos ensues every morning. Traffic is bumper to bumper, cars make u-turns on the road and common folk using private vehicles are getting caught up in a jam.
“There’s way more than 300 taxis here everyday and the Shoprite parking area is just the best location for us. But for now it’s way too small. All our customers want to come to this central point every morning to work, and this is the point they come to when they want to go home,” said Adnaan Adams, one of the taxi drivers.
“We can’t pick up passengers all the way down Church Street or all the way up Caledon Street,” he said, referring to the holding sites that were previously suggested by the City, but shelved due to community objections and threats of legal action.
Another driver, Mxoleneni Mthiya, said some taxi drivers wait at Somerset West Station, near Burg Street, but this is also overcrowded and far away from the commuters.
“If we don’t pick up our passengers from near Shoprite then another taxi will,” he said. “For this reason it makes no sense at all for us to move away from this area.
“We’re struggling with the space, and if the City doesn’t do anything to alleviate the congestion then there’s going to be some serious problems in the near future. There’s no way that we can deal with this for another 24 months.”
Mthiya also expressed concern that as construction was moving forward so the space for taxis was getting smaller. Most taxi drivers were of the opinion that additional parking space should be allocated to them within the Shoprite parking area.
Currently two taxi associations operate in the area, namely the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) and Rusthof Amalgamated Taxi Association (Rata).
According to the drivers the City has not yet informed them of suitable alternative sites for the duration of the construction period, expected to be over the next two years.
Caledon Street property owners, who had objected to a city proposal that a holding site be based alongside their business interests, also stated this week that they are yet to receive any further communication from City officials.
Rob Quintas, the Mayoral Committee member for Urban Mobility, confirmed this week that the City is still investigating alternative sites for a taxi holding area.
“The minibus-taxi vehicles parking in the Shoprite parking area are not authorised to do so as it is private property and not designated as a minibus-taxi (MBT) facility,” he said. “If they refuse to relocate to the alternative holding area identified as part of the Somerset West MBT Facility upgrade interim operational solution, then the operators run the risk of being taken to task by the property owner for trespassing and be subjected to enforcement.”
Quintas added that the City has, at the open day and meetings with stakeholders, explained to the public and stakeholders that the construction of the PTI will cause inconvenience as it is impossible to do construction work in an area of this nature without users and visitors being impacted.
“We therefore, once again, ask the public to bear with us during this time as we try to progress towards completion as soon as possible. This is a major project in which the City is investing R65 million to provide a safe, convenient, comfortable, and dignified space for the commuters and operators from the Somerset West area. Once complete, the new PTI will benefit the local community as well and businesses.”
He also reiterated that the Shoprite parking area is not part of the interim operational arrangements made for the PTI facility redevelopment.
