Taxi wars: talks underway

Taxi commuters were this week again stranded on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning. This after feuds over routes between the Mankweng, Moletjie, Seshego and Flora Park Taxi Associations reached boiling point. Relations between the associations deteriorated on Monday after the Mankweng and Moletjie Taxi Associations demanded that they also make use of the routes to Mall of the North.
This led to a confrontation that resulted in the mall management clearing out the rank.
On Tuesday, taxis made use of the bus stop on the R81 as a makeshift rank until further notice.
On Wednesday morning, Flora Park taxi drivers blocked streets in the city centre.
Grobler and Hans van Rensburg streets were mostly affected and the flow of traffic was disrupted after the Moletjie and Mankweng Taxi Associations started loading commuters going to the mall.
The Chairperson for the Flora Park Taxi Association, Albert Tyzack, said the only associations permitted to load on this route are that of Seshego and Flora Park.
“This was the reason the Flora Park Taxi Association decided to block the road, because we want the Department of Transport to take action. The department is failing us because we have been appealing for them to intervene since Monday but we are not taken seriously. It is as if they are waiting for somebody to die first before they can take action,” he said.
Transport Spokesperson, Matome Moremi-Taueatsoala said they are aware of the situation between the taxi associations and a meeting had been scheduled for Wednesday to resolve the impasse. He appealed to the associations to refrain from using violence to resolve their issues.
Mall of the North General Manager, Sumari de Ridder, could not be reached for comment at the time of going to print.

Story: Miranda Chauke