Durban traffic chaos: Mayor calls for striking bus drivers to be disciplined

The mayor of Durban, Mxolisi Kaunda.

• Durban Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda condemned a morning protest by Durban Transport bus drivers.
• He asked Transnat, the Durban Transport contractor, to discipline the drivers.
• The drivers ask for a permanent job in the city.

EThekwini Metro Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda condemned a morning strike, which paralyzed morning traffic, by city bus drivers on the Durban Transport bus service and called for drivers to be disciplined.

The buses, operated by Transnat, a company owned by former President Jacob Zuma’s nephew Mandla Gcaba, blocked the main routes in and out of the city in the early hours of Monday morning.

“Transnat must move quickly and resolve any issues they may have that result in this inconvenience. The administration must have records of which driver took which bus to where. As a result, we expect the bus operator to impose disciplinary measures on those drivers,” he said Kaunda. .

He said it was illegal and caused traffic to stop during the busy morning period. Kaunda said it also “had a negative impact on the economy, as the cargo and logistics trucks were not able to move easily.”

“This is a [act] of treason and economic sabotage to say the least; and those responsible must face the full power of the law. Our economy is very strained by Covid-19 and this illegal behavior is compounding our ills. “

READ ALSO | Portland Mayor urges restraint and renounce violence after fatal shooting

He apologized to the contributors.

“We apologize to all residents and businesses that have been affected by these incidents and we are doing everything possible to bring the situation back to normal. This is a country that is governed by laws and we must all respect the rule of law no matter what grievances we may have, “Kaunda said.

Among the bus drivers’ complaints is permanent employment by the municipality.

“The city has already started a process for a municipal entity that will take over the operation of the buses,” Kaunda said.

READ | 18 arrested during the demonstration against crime and protests against gender-based violence by motorcyclists near Parliament

News24 previously reported that the subway police had to move the buses which caused the severe traffic delays.

Police used casspirs to tow the buses off the center of the road to the side where they left them.

Metro police spokesman Parboo Sewpersad said that in some cases police had to get on buses and get them off busy roads.

He said that a convoy would have to transport the buses to their depot. Around 450 buses were removed from the bus depot this morning, it is unclear how many were used for the protest.