National Taxi Alliance threatens shutdown if demands not met

The National Taxi Alliance (NTA), the country’s second-largest taxi association, has threatened a national shutdown should its demands not be met.

On Thursday, commuters were left stranded after taxi operations in Thembisa, Germiston, Benoni, Katlehong and Vosloorus were suspended.

NTA spokesperson Theo Malele said a bus company was given a contract to operate on routes that were nurtured by the taxi industry. Therefore, the industry should get a 30% stake in the contract.

“We developed those routes, we have nurtured them but authorities have accorded a particular bus company a stake to operate along those routes without having properly engaged us,” Malele said.

“Should the authorities remain incalcitrant in the matter, the industry will be left with no option other than to escalate the current shutdown in Ekurhuleni to national proportions, thus crippling the mobility of the masses as a consequence.

“We want to apologise for the inconvenience caused to the passengers and society at large and we urge authorities to deal with the taxi industry’s resentment as a matter of urgency.”

Ekurhuleni metro police department spokesperson Kelebogile Thepa said the strike started on Thursday, causing disruptions. She said officers were monitoring the situation.

“It is unclear what the cause for the strike is but investigations are under way. At this moment we cannot speculate on the circumstances.”

Mmatshikhidi Rebecca Phala, national spokesperson of the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco), the country’s largest taxi association, said the shutdown followed a disagreement on Wednesday between its patrollers and the bus company.

She said this resulted in law enforcement arresting patrollers and security officials and impounding some vehicles.

Santaco Ekurhuleni spokesperson Eddie Mkhonto said patrollers were chasing bus drivers away, saying they should not operate on their routes. “Those routes are our bread and butter,” he said.

EFF Gauteng chair and Ekurhuleni metro finance MMC Nkululeko Dunga said the red berets noted with serious concern that the strike escalated into an exchange of “gunfire involving members of the Katlehong People’s Taxi Association (Kapta) and bus companies within the City of Ekurhuleni this morning, leaving commuters stranded.

“It is reported two taxi drivers have been shot and killed. The protest reportedly ignited due to Kapta’s rejection of the municipality’s decision to introduce more buses on local routes, including Thembisa, Katlehong, Daveyton, Benoni, Germiston, Thokoza, Palmridge and Zonkizizwe without proper consultation with the association.”

He blamed the ANC for the chaos, saying the metro’s department of transport, planning & provision fell under the ANC, which “is obligated to provide high-quality, integrated transport infrastructure and efficient public transport systems to enhance commuter mobility.

“The department’s reluctance to engage with the taxi association has unfortunately prevented it from meeting this mandate, thus fuelling the disputes and jeopardising public safety.”

While the EFF advocated for the expansion of state capacity to deliver free and affordable services to those affected by poverty and economic disparity, “it urges consideration for the existing local public transport sector, which serves as both the bedrock of public transportation and an economic lifeline”.

Dunga said: “The EFF calls on the city to swiftly address the situation by facilitating a conflict resolution meeting between the involved parties to develop a solution that restores public order and ensures operational transport services immediately.”

The minibus taxi industry is the lifeblood of the economy as it transports more than 16-million people a day. The sector, which contributes R50bn a year to GDP and spends more than R20bn on fuel, has been dogged by violence as a result of turf wars.

Addressing the national taxi summit in 2020, President Cyril Ramaphosa called for the formalisation of the industry, saying that would ensure it contributed to SA’s tax revenue. The NTA pulled out of the summit at the 11th hour, accusing the government of acting in bad faith and being in cahoots with Santaco.

chabalalaj@sowetan.co.za
mkentanel@businesslive.co.za