THE eThekwini Municipality has finally decided to accept a ruling handed down by the Pietermaritzburg high court late last year that its current bus operator, Transnat Africa, was operating illegally

This was decided at an executive meeting of the council yesterday, where it was revealed that Transnat would continue to operate until a new operator was appointed.

City manager Mike Sutcliffe told members of the executive committee that the recommendations were that authority would be granted for new Durban Transport contracts to be advertised .

The municipality's spokesperson, Thabo Mofokeng, said: "The city will look at ways of legalising the whole process and there will be presentations next week on proposed models for how a new transport model should be run."

Two years ago, six bus operators took the matter to court after Transnat Africa took over eThekwini's bus service from Remant Alton. The operators complained that the way in which the company was awarded the contract was unlawful.

The judge set aside the awarding of the tender at the time.

The city and the province appealed the ruling, but it was dismissed in December last year.