In eThekwini, the Go! Durban is long overdue and has been besieged with challenges.
The first leg of the long-delayed Go! Durban project could go live this year, as the eThekwini Municipality and the taxi industry are resolving their impasse.
Mathula Mkhize of the Durban West Taxi Association, under Santaco, told The Mercury that the city and the industry are working together to resolve their differences and pave the way for the launch of the programme. The C3 route, which runs between Pinetown and KwaMashu, is completed and was the one most impacted by the impasse. It is the route that will likely go live first.
There have been several dates in the past for the project to go live, but those dates were allowed to pass without the launch. The delay has been a source of concern for the city and the government, with claims that the city was spending millions of rand to guard the infrastructure against vandalism.
The main reason for the stalemate was around the ownership of the buses. The taxi operators demanded a controlling stake in the buses, as they claimed they were losing business, while the city claimed control of the project, arguing that it was footing the bill.
