JUST IN: Taxi strike action causes delays on several highways
Demonstrations on the highways commenced at 9am on Tuesday morning
Minibus taxis on the R21 south, moving very slowly, are causing delays.
The planned protest was expected to commence in the early hours of Tuesday but the demonstration only started at 9am.
EXPRESS spoke to EMPD spokesperson Kobeli Mokheseng who said: “The taxis are moving but they are very slow causing traffic delays. We are not sure about their destination but they are joining the R24 west heading towards Gillooly’s interchange. We are monitoring them together with police, Gauteng Traffic Police, National Traffic Police and JMPD.
“There are no reports of violence but we will continue to monitor them.”
N3 towards Germiston backed up from before Modderfontein. Taxi blockade just before van Buuren turnoff. @PigSpotter @FatalMoves pic.twitter.com/RibCas73wD
— Bedfordview (@BedfordviewArea) March 20, 2018
@EWNTraffic @TrafficSA taxi blockade linksfield to gillooys all lanes blocked pic.twitter.com/VOFQE1YseR
— liz sambridge (@liztotaltours) March 20, 2018
Mokheseng also said that the R21 and R24 are not the only affected highways.
“Close to 30 minibus taxis have also been seen on the N3 direction south which is towards Durban between the Linksfield offramp and Gillooly’s interchange,” he said.
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 Harambee bus service was also suspended for March 20 due to the planned strike.
Meanwhile, the two taxi ranks at the Kempton Park CBD were empty with no taxis operating. A number of shops on Central Avenue and Pretoria Road were also closed which could be due to workers not being able to get to work.
