By Thomas Thale
THE Metropolitan Trading Company (MTC), a council owned company responsible for constructing and managing markets in the city, on Friday warned taxi operators who have not paid rent for using facilities at the Metro Mall to pay up by 1 May or face eviction from the rank. The notice was conveyed at a tense meeting between the MTC and taxi associations which operate from the rank.
The Metro Mall is the largest and best-equipped transport holding facility in the city, catering for taxis, buses and informal traders. The 27 000 taxis operating from the rank are each charged rental of R60 per month.
The company is owed some R750 000 by taxi associations who refuse to pay for the use of the facility. The defaulting associations are Baracity, Dorljota, Faraday and Swuta.
Keith Atkins, CEO of the MTC, blamed some associations of failing to pay for the use of the market. "We have consistently explained to the associations that if they don't settle their arrears, we would have to take action against them. We have been in dialogue with them since December. This ranking fee was agreed to."
However, Dumisani Mntambo, spokesman for Baracity, one of the defaulting associations, disputed this. "When we were consulted about the building of the rank, no mention was made of us having to pay rent. We were under the impression that we would continue using the facilities for free as we had always done," Mntambo charged. "This rent increases our overheads substantially. We would prefer to take ownership of the rank and run it ourselves."
"If they come up with a reasonable offer to buy the Metro Mall, we will listen," Atkins responded.
Mntambo said if the MTC carries out its threat to keep them out of the Metro Mall, Baracity might consider operating from outside the rank.
Late on Friday, the situation remained fluid. According to Nhlanhla Ndovela, operations manager of the MTC, Baracity paid R24 000 to the MTC. The association owes rental amounting to R48 000. "Other associations have promised to pay next week," Ndovela said.
"We sincerely hope that we will not have to take this action. The remedy lies with the associations," Atkins said.
