Ward 38 Residents met on the 18th of October 2021 at YWCA so as to discuss the below :

1. Improving Passenger Safety and Community Safety for Dube Residents during Taxi Wars 
2. Enjoying a harmonious, peaceful, effective and two-way relationship with WATA where the community would be consulted and communicated to as a key stakeholder in the transporting of commuters within the region.
3. Setting up a Task Team to engage WATA Leadership on how they can offer social value to the Dube Community. ( Successful, Peaceful and Harmonious Neighbouring )
4. Drafting a petition to raise the community safety concerns of Dube residents to be populated to the relevant stakeholders.

Represented Dube Streets :  Mahalefele, Mncube , Makhalemele , Mncube , Ngcobo , Xuma , Mtipa , Mehlomakhulu , Sandile , Mkhonza , Porotsa Street

Issues raised by the Dube Residents :

There has been a number of shootings, shoot outs and violent incidents resulting in community injuries,  loss of lives and loss of assets that occurred within the WATA offices, vicinity of WATA offices in the community of Dube, JHB CBD and surrounding areas such as Orlando West, Mofolo and White City.

These incidents have been sparked by price wars , turf wars and many other issues known to the warring parties in the recent 2021 weeks and over years since WATA became one of the Dube residents. 

As a result, the community of Dube has met to see how an effective relationship can be built between WATA, its commuters and Dube residents. 

Dube residents aspire towards a violent free community where people’s lives are put forward and their children can be raised in an environment where there are no drive-by shootings between rival taxi associations and dangerous high calibre rifles are not brandished within the community. 

For WATA to resolve their issues with warring or opposing partners amicably without violence to minimise violent incidences that affect passengers and the Dube Community as Dube cannot be a war zone for taxi battles. 

1.Wata to partner with the community of Dube to ensure that Dube commuters, community members  and informal traders outside the WATA offices are not caught in the crossfire during taxi wars 

2. Dube residents and commuters would like to be treated with courtesy and respect by some drivers, queue marshalls from WATA. This is over and above relaying an apology to the Dube community for the various violent instances where locals, children, women and the aged were caught in the taxi war crossfire. 

3.There have been sporadic instances of violence towards Dube residents using eHailer services from Maponya Mall such as Bolt and Uber and the community requests a speedy resolve and protection from WATA from such uncompetitive practises.

4.Stakeholder Engagement - To be consulted by WATA so as to discuss taxi fare price increases rather than increasing prices without consulting commuters. Price increases and fluctuations could be better communicated to commuters. The decision making of the association will be more informed and in tune with the needs of the community affected by the price changes.

5.Covid Friendly Taxi Fares for Residents / Price Gouging - Price gouging occurs when a seller increases the prices of goods, services or commodities to a level much higher than is considered reasonable or fair usually after a natural disaster. Given the current COVID 19 environment, some commuters have been retrenched or been faced with pay cuts. As a result, the Community is pleading with WATA to allow the commuters an opportunity to choose a cheaper taxi fare through other associations. As an alternative to the former, the Community is pleading with WATA to try and meet them halfway through a reduced taxi fare or allow the community the freedom to commute through a cheaper taxi fare with other associations without any gripes. High transport prices in a pandemic deny poor commuters the right to participate in economic activities such as jobs and education. 

6.Customer Complaints/ Compliments Escalation System - WATA to set up a complaints or compliments number for Dube residents and its commuters to allow for the resolution of complaints or compliments for professional service received from drivers.

7.Armed Robberies and Kidnaps in Taxis - Dube residents have been survivors of robberies from inside taxis with WATA stickers and the community requests the intervention of WATA and Safety Stakeholder to devise strategies to circumvent the crimes experienced by commuters in some taxis with WATA stickers.

8.Sponsorships and Community Social Responsibility- Wata is encouraged to exercise ethical and social responsibility within the community of Dube by keeping ongoing consultations with the community and sponsoring Dube initiatives that address socio economic issues within the community.

9.Dube Public Engagement/ Listening to community stakeholder concerns by the Department of Transport- The Dube community is of the view that government is probably not aware of how the taxi wars have impacted the community and the government should consult with the community of Dube to understand the Taxi War impact to the community and commuters as one of the key stakeholders.This is a process that will run alongside arriving to a viable solution for all.

10. Urgent Multiparty Dialogue- The community is hardly engaged on solutions to address taxi wars and yet they are the ones caught in the crossfire during the taxi wars or affected by taxi fare  issues. The community requests a multiparty dialogue meeting with key stakeholders Gauteng Transport MEC, Jacob Mamabolo ,WATA, Nanduwe , Gauteng Roads and Transport Department  , City of Joburg , Ward 38 WardCouncillor , SAPS , Public Transport Intervention Unit in Orlando, JMPD , Gauteng Traffic Police, Clergy Community , Community Safety , Competition Commission and Media. The Dube community is confident that a roundtable with all key stakeholders will bring us closer to a viable solution to address the taxi wars in the region. 

11.Maponya Mall Route - Wata or the relevant taxi association to urgently assist with developing a Maponya taxi route for Dube and surrounding areas to alleviate the pressure experienced by local residents of double transport for a trip that is less than 3km. 

12.Booysens Exchange - The hostile situation at the Booysens taxi exchange is also not conducive for passengers and commuters are praying for a resolve that makes customers feel safe.

13. Community Petition Process - The community will commence a petition process to record the issues raised above with all the relevant key stakeholders. Dube community members are encouraged to sign up for the petition. 

The Dube community is confident that the taxi association will cooperate on the issues raised above. The community will urgently consult with other transport stakeholders once the local discussions with WATA have been exhausted.