A last-minute agreement helped avert a lengthy court battle between taxi operators and the KwaZulu-Natal Transport Alliance.

A last-minute agreement helped avert a lengthy court battle between taxi operators and the KwaZulu-Natal Transport Alliance.

Taxi operators were determined to sue the body that represents their interests over the way a R6million contribution by Toyota had been spent.

The 11th hour agreement came in a tense meeting between the two parties yesterday.

Willy Mbhense, who represented the operators, said the meeting was held to calm enraged taxi operators who believed the money had been used to line the pockets of the alliance's leaders.

"I will arrange a meeting where we the alliance leaders would come and clarify to the members how the money was used."

Mbhense said the meeting next week would try to iron out problems between the taxi operators and their leaders.

"Operators want to know why the leadership did not come and get a mandate on how to use the funds, rather than telling them how the money has been used.

It's a genuine concern that should have been addressed."