Public transport in Durban consists of the following:
Bus transport
Taxis
Rickshaw
Metro rail
Durban bus transport
The most reliable intercity buses are Durban people mover, Mynah bus service, and Aqualine buses. These bus services are run by eThekwini municipality.
Durban people mover operates a city loop and a beach line. It links the city center to the beachfront. Their beach line runs from Ushaka marine world to Suncoast casino. The interchange between the city loop and beach route is at Dr. Pixley Ka Seme street near city hall. See Durban people mover full route here.
The people mover shuttle runs daily between 5 am and 10 pm after every 15 minutes.
Single tickets cost R5.50. A daily pass costs R16.
Mynah buses run mostly from Berea suburbs to the city center every 30 minutes. They are the cheapest way to move from these suburbs to the city center. Their terminus is at the workshop terminus ( Pine street terminus). Buses don't have route numbers but their destinations are always indicated. You only have to flag down the bus for it to stop at any bus stop. Single tickets cost R2.40 off-peak and R3.80 at peak times but if you load ten tickets you pay R28.
Aqualine is the oldest bus service in Durban and serves the greater metropolitan area. They depart after every 5 minutes. Fare depends on your destination and time of travel with prices being at their highest at peak hours. If you'll be using this bus daily while you're in Durban, get a weekly coupon, it'll save you up to 35% off.
However, due to ongoing disputes, some of Aqualine's routes have been suspended.
The Muvo smartcard is a single smartcard that can be used to pay for transport across all of Durban's three primary bus lines (The people mover, Mynah, Aqualine). All buses are fitted with card readers, fare will be automatically deducted once you insert your card in the Muvo card reader and enter your pin.
You must load at least 10 trips on the card. The cards cost R20.
Getting around by Taxi
There are 2 taxi categories in Durban:
Metered taxi.
Minibus taxi.
Unlike in most cities, metered taxis in Durban don't just move around. You have to call them to ask for pick up. Some of the popular metered taxi providers in Durban include
Mozzie cabs
Zippy cabs
Ucabs
Eagle taxis
East coast cabs
Minibus taxis run the same route as Mynah buses but have more frequent trips. You'll easily recognize them since they are highly decorated, play loud music and there's always someone hanging by the window indicating where the minibus is heading to and if there are any free seats.
Caution: Minibus taxis are not recommended for tourists or anyone new in the city, stick to metered taxis. Petty street crimes are also very common in minibus taxi ranks.
Minibus taxis also offer long-distance transportation to Swaziland. These long-distance minibus taxis depart from their rank at 22 Umgeni road.
Rickshaws
Rickshaws just move people along the beachfront for amusement. They also take passengers to the city center
Train transport in Durban is not as advanced as it is in Johannesburg, most tourists and locals don't use it. Durban Metrorail has 6 six lines and one cross-city line.