Motorists had use alternative routes on Saturday morning, when taxi drivers blocked the R40 at Rocky Drift to protest their limited operating areas.
Members of J&M Security and the SAPS redirected road users towards the Plaston Road as traffic on the R40 was disturbed for more than an hour.
Protesters on the scene were not violent and willing to address the newspaper. According to two of them, who did not want to be identified, the Kabokweni and White Hazy Taxi associations barred other taxi drivers from working in Msholozi. They also alleged that they were being unfairly targeted by the transport inspectorate. “We’ve all been receiving ridiculous fines,” they complained.
Those in support of the taxi associations say the non-members have permits to transport passengers between Msholozi and White River, but that they keep exceeding the boundaries of their permitted operating areas.
A few vehicles that attempted to pass through were reportedly halted, with the taxi drivers on the one side and the police on the other. They could, however, pass through after about an hour, when the road was reopened. According to a reliable source, a meeting between relevant stakeholders will be arranged to resolve the issue.
