“This Business Has Been in Decline”: Taxi Driver Shows Fleet of Parked Taxis Due to Slow Business

• A local minibus taxi driver has sparked widespread concern online after filming a video showing rows of parked taxis due to a massive lack of commuters
• The footage reshared on X was captured from inside the driver's stationary vehicle, where he expressed a concern that their minibus taxis may even be repossessed
• The man’s concern sparked a wave of comments from viewers who had started seeing a decline in commuter numbers since the introduction of e-hailing services

A KwaZulu-Natal taxi driver has laid bare the devastating financial strain currently affecting the South African transport sector. In a sobering video shared on X by social media commentator @AdvoBarryRoux on 29 May 2026, a taxi driver filmed a massive taxi rank filled with stationary, empty cars.

The stressed driver explained that the industry has ground to a near-total halt. He shared his fears that financial institutions will soon begin repossessing their taxis because operators are failing to generate the cash flow needed to meet their monthly car finance repayments.

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Taxi driver stresses over low commuter numbers

Detailing their operational misery, the driver complained about the recent fuel price adjustments. In the X user @AdvoBarryRoux's video, he vented that the diesel price increases have added a layer of pressure on an already bleeding industry. He lamented that, between the skyrocketing cost of fuel and the empty ranks, taxi operators are facing an unprecedented economic dead-end.

Watch the X video below:

Mzansi discusses the decline in commuter numbers

The post ignited a significant online debate in the comment section regarding the shifting dynamics of public transport in Mzansi cities. Many noted that since numerous foreign-owned retail and wholesale shops in major CBD areas have closed down or relocated, the regular wave of daily workers and shoppers relying on taxis has vanished. Others argued that the massive rise of e-hailing services has eaten into the traditional taxi market, especially for short-distance commutes.

User @Oppenheimer702 said:

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"This business has been on the decline for years. The introduction of the e-hailing business made matters worse."

User @ntombemhlophe8 advised:

"They must innovate laba (these) finish and klaar."

User @BonKalonji added:

"They will soon feel it. It’s the end of the month, and most South African ladies will lose their rooms."

User @BobbyDNdhlovu said:

"Minibus taxis were never a sustainable public transport system."

User @TaperaEmmanuel shared:

"Foreign nationals form most of their clients!"

User @lekoloanemanam2 commented:

"There are few people to transport because millions of people are unemployed, but they keep voting for the same old time ANC plus DA."

3 Briefly News taxi-related articles

• A bold Mahindra bakkie driver in Gauteng earned widespread praise across Mzansi after blocking a taxi that attempted to drive into oncoming traffic until it went off the road into the pavement.
• A confident taxi driver was filmed charming a white woman while casually leaning against her car door on the roadside, sparking massive laughter online.
• A kind taxi driver invited a female motorist to his township, Dunoon, near Cape Town, and promised that he would ensure that she was safe, leaving social media users deeply moved.

Source: Briefly News