Taxi drivers ‘demanding to see family photos’ cause a Twitter storm
We know taxi associations have a history of outrageous ideas, but when they're more demanding than Gigaba it's cause for scepticism.
A taxi rank. Picture: Nigel Sibanda.
Road users and taxi drivers have existed in a contentious relationship for years but tensions came to a head in recent weeks after reports emerged of drivers targeting lift clubs and other private transport initiatives.
Dear @Radio702 , can we please have a conversation about how the Taxi Association goons are trying to intimidate people who use private transport to get to work and home? A few of my staff members were given a hard time for this yesterday
— Afrocentric Muslimah (@AfrocentricM) September 26, 2018
Eastern Cape taxi drivers handed over a list of demands to the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) earlier this month in an effort to remedy the situation. Fake lists of alleged demands then began circulating on social media and have since shocked people who believe they are real.
Image: Twitter
The list immediately sent social media users into a frenzy.
So if you’re traveling with your family of 4 in Eastern Cape you just must produce a family photo to taxi drivers or catch hands? ????????
— Mordecai (@KEVIIN_LXXXVIII) September 26, 2018
Sizo khabana, The Eastern Cape Royal Rumble has begun https://t.co/qe5lFvtZqH
— MegaTron ???????? (@uTa_Ayas) September 26, 2018
Eastern cape taxi drivers really want you to have a family photo of everyone in the car if your car is full lmaooooooo
— PJ (@MpelaVeki) September 26, 2018
No more lift clubs in the Eastern Cape ????
— A.N Mthethwa (@ayandanonhlanhl) September 26, 2018
????????????
Taxi Drivers in the Eastern Cape sound like an insecure partner. https://t.co/Y73esU6ZtW
— Xai™???? (@MXai__) September 26, 2018
Journalist Siphe Macanda rubbished the list, however, and tweeted an image of the real demands.
These are the actual demands of the taxi industry in Eastern Cape, not the ridiculous demands yol are circulating on Social Media. pic.twitter.com/R2kFgFicFs
— Mpinga (@SipheMacanda) September 26, 2018
Secretary-general of Santaco’s Eastern Cape branch Vusumizi Mbewu has denied the fake demands.
“We have nothing to do with that. We know nothing about that one. We are distancing ourselves from that one as Santaco Eastern Cape,” said Mbewu.
He went on to explain that the real demands listed his association’s complaints about how the Eastern Cape government handles things such as scholar transport, termination of contracts, road conditions and the incongruence in validity periods for public drivers’ permits and drivers’ licences.
According to Mbewu, they were also calling for subsidies in the taxi industry as they had established themselves as a more formal entity and would like to offer their association as a sort of pilot project in government’s efforts to develop a system for nationwide taxi subsidies.
They are currently awaiting feedback from government officials after a meeting they attended earlier this week.
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