Total taxi shut down planned for city

South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) Provincial Secretary Lesiba Mathobela has warned commuters that no public transport will be available next Wednesday when provincial taxi operators will, in solidarity with nationwide protest action by the industry planned for the day, not render any services.
Mathobela stressed that no taxis will be made available or moving on the day as all commuters, taxi operators, drivers, queue marshals, supporters and partners of the taxi industry will be participating in the action. “It is going to be a total shut down of the service,” he said and added that they were withholding detail about their strategies to avoid Police interference.
“We are going to the streets and one of the key demands is the question of subsidy. We feel that the commuters need to be subsidised on the high cost of transportation and one way of alleviating the economic pressure is for the government to subsidise the taxi industry precisely because we transport a huge percentage of commuters,” Mathobela said.

According to Mathobela they have been engaging Government on this matter since 2001 and felt they should go and make the demand for all users of public transport and those who depend on taxis to travel and as a result subsiding taxis would result in huge economic benefits. “The issue has been dragging for a while. Studies have been conducted on subsidy, all directives have there, dissertations have been submitted, every confirmation is there both academic and political which speaks to the question of subsidy and we feel it is time we should go on this demand,” Mathobela said. He did divulge that the taxi operators, drivers, queue marshals, supporters and partners of the taxi industry will converge at SABC Park at 07:00 and a number of logistic issues will ensue from there.
They will then move to Hans van Rensburg Street via the Office of the Premier to the Department of Transport and Community Safety were they will hand over a memorandum of grievances which will be received by the MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Nandi Ndalane.
“We have received confirmation from her office that she will be available to receive the memorandum. We are urging all community members to come and take part in the march.”

Story: Herbert Rachuene
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