#TaxiStrike Update: Tembisa commuters left stranded
"Ekurhuleni areas are clear and traffic is back to normal."
Tembisa commuters were left stranded when taxi drivers gathered at all the exits this morning, preventing motorists from leaving the township.
Also read: Highways around Midrand and Pretoria blocked off
Taxi owners, who wished to remain anonymous, said the strike was in support of the South African National Taxi Council’s (SANTACO) call to embark on a national strike to take their grievances to SA Taxi Finance Holdings in Midrand.
“We are not barricading the road. This is our meeting point and we will thereafter move together to meet our colleagues in Midrand,” said one taxi owner who wished remain anonymous.
EMPD Spokesperson Chief Supt Wilfred Kgasago said Tembisa was no exception, as this was a national strike in which all of Gauteng’s roads were affected.
“Drivers were slowing down waiting for their friends. The R562 was blockaded using a truck to close the entrance. An R21 on-ramp and off-ramp were also affected, causing a lot of trouble for motorists. People were moving slowly, at 10 kilometres per hour,” said Kgasago.
He said fortunately media reports suggest that the transport department has confirmed an agreement has been reached between Santaco and SA Taxi Finance Holdings.
“Ekurhuleni areas are clear and traffic is back to normal.”
