Metro cancels buses ahead of Tuesday’s taxi industry protest action
Commuters are encouraged to seek alternative modes of transport for tomorrow
Major disruptions on the R21 and R24 highways could on Tuesday morning as a result of a planned taxi protest.
The idea is to block traffic from and to OR Tambo International Airport.
As a result of the protest the City of Ekurhuleni will stop all bus services for the day.
Themba Gadebe, spokesperson for Ekurhuleni Metro, said in a statement issued on Monday Afternoon: “The taxi industry in Ekurhuleni has given the City notice that its members will be embarking on a march tomorrow, March 20. Due to this anticipated protest, which will take place throughout Ekurhuleni, the City would like to inform the public that its bus services will be suspended as a precautionary measure for the day, following a threat of violence.
“Commuters are encouraged to seek alternative modes of transport for tomorrow (Tuesday). We do apologise for the inconvenience caused and thank you for your understanding. The bus service will be fully operational from March 22,” Gadebe said.
Commuters will be compensated with a free ride for a lost day.
According to information received, Ekurhuleni Management Council (MANCO) held a meeting on March 15 at Kempton Park Civic Centre to deliberate on the planning of a protest march planned for March 20.
The purpose of the march is about the grievances of Ekurhuleni Road Transport Council (ERTC) against the metro for the withdrawal of funding of the Kempton Park Tembisa Vosloorus Reiger Park (KTVR) bus service operations and the R800 million which was intended to buy new KTVR buses.
The logistics of the protest march are:
1. All members of MANCO who are executives of taxi associations will converge at the ERTC offices in Pomona from 9pm to midnight.
2. Taxi drivers and owners will converge at Esibayeni on Central Avenue and will proceed to the ERTC offices around 2am on March 20 to meet with MANCO members.
3. The plan is block the R21/R24 highway in both directions leading to OR Tambo International Airport. The protest is meant to disrupt the traffic flow into and out of OR Tambo.
4. Trucks will be hijacked, keys confiscated and truck drivers will be driven out of the area by assigned taxis. These trucks will be used to close off the highway.
The meeting decided not to disclose the off-ramps where the highway will be blocked. There are further plans to block the railway lines going to Kempton Park, points to be blocked were also not disclosed in this regard.
The protest will proceed to Germiston where other associations operating from the eastern and southern parts of Ekurhuleni will be met with their counterparts in the southern part of Ekurhuleni.
The entire protest will proceed to the mayoral chambers in Germiston to hand over a memorandum of their grievances.
EXPRESS confirmed the information with the metro’s spokesperson who said it is correct.
