Taxi bosses reach agreement
Taxi association executive members, the SAPS and Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police (EMPD) met at the Tembisa South Police Station to iron out issues affecting their business operations.
Successful talks between taxi associations were sealed with the signing of an Operational Agreement on August 13 in Tembisa.
Following the recent Tembisa taxi violence, which claimed the life of Ms Jabulile Cynthia Mahlangu (45), the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) and the Gauteng Department of Transport facilitated a meeting.
Taxi association executive members, the SAPS and Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police (EMPD) met at the Tembisa South Police Station to iron out issues affecting their business operations.
“This agreement entails that both the Tembisa Alexandra Taxi Association (TATA) and Midrand Taxi Association (MIDTA) pledge to work together peacefully, as both are entitled to operate the same route, as per the legal permission granted through registration with the Department of Transport,” said the EMM’s spokesperson, Mr Themba Gadebe.
“The heavily contested route which led to the recent taxi war runs to and from the Titeng taxi rank in Tembisa to Kayalami via Waterfall Mall taxi rank in Midrand,” he said.
In the meeting, it was resolved that the operating conditions of a previous verbal agreement will be reinstated.
This meant that both MIDTA and TATA would immediately revert to operating an equal number of taxis (five each) in the rank and charge the same fare of R15 for the disputed route.
Mr Gadebe said August 13 was a wrapping up of those talks and a formalisation of the agreement.
“Calm has been restored to the Sangweni taxi rank in Tembisa, following the death of a commuter due to taxi violence last month. The parties have agreed to hold monthly meetings which will enable all stakeholders to address all the challenges faced by the operators collectively,” said Mr Gadebe.
“Transporting commuters is our bread and butter, therefore we condemn the barbaric acts of greed that resulted in the horrible killings of innocent souls; we pledge to abide by the principles contained in this agreement,” said the chairperson of the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) in the Ekurhuleni region, Mr Peter Mashego.
