Taxi operators block main routes in Gauteng

Since the early hours on Thursday morning, traffic in Midrand has been severely affected by the Gauteng taxi operators protest.

As reported on Wednesday, the Gauteng taxi operators affiliated to the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) announced they would march to the SA Taxi Finance company to hand over a memorandum which outlined their grievances. According to the African News Agency, their march is against “high minibus taxi purchase costs”.

Midrand Reporter reports the march was only expected to take place at 10am but taxi drives started blocking off roads leading to the N1 highway from the early hours of Thursday morning. Reports suggest that Johannesburg metro police officers were deployed to the area from about 1am.

The main routes in Midrand, including: New Road, Allandale Road, K101 and Harry Galaun Drive were blocked as a result of the strike. Reports also suggested the N1 Southbound was blocked.

Midrand Reporter journalist, Welisa Nene, is in the area and said: “Midrand is congested… movement is not happening.”

It is expected that over 2 000 taxi operators would join the march, parking their vehicles at Gallagher Estate and walking to the Midrand Taxi Rank. From there, the plan was to hand over a memorandum at about 11am, and walk back to their vehicles.

According to Captain Lionel Chetty of the Midrand police, the initial information they received suggested that taxi drivers and owners from KwaZulu-Natal were also expected to participate in the march, although this has not yet been confirmed.

Gauteng Traffic spokesperson Busaphi Nxumalo reportedly told the African News Agency shots were fired in the air, allegedly by taxi drivers, in a bid to scare motorists at the Mall of Africa.

Midrand Reporter further reports, the Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has advised parents to take their children to school, rather than allowing them to use a taxi to get there, due to safety concerns.

Midrand resident Thandi Ntobela told Midrand Reporter that parents were turning back from Noordwyk High School and Sagewood Primary School saying “no school”.

EWN further reports that the traffic was also delayed on the N12 East, Golden Highway and Nirvana near Lenasia due to the strike.

Nxumalo further reportedly told the African News Agency that the R80 to Soshanguve and Mabopane was blocked as well as the R21 at the Flying Saucer interchange from Pretoria.

Traffic police were reportedly deployed and more than 17 taxis had been impounded, but now trucks were being used to block the roads.

https://twitter.com/IanNFlavour/status/875216787670876161

Ongoing Taxi Strike impacting getting Paramedical Support to patients in the City of Johannesburg. @EWNTraffic @ewnupdates @IamAlexSweet pic.twitter.com/0KqESNU4CG

— EMER-G-MED EMS (@EMER_G_MED) June 15, 2017

– Caxton News Service