National shutdown to halt taxi operations
Makhunga said there is nothing they can do if people decide to embark on the shutdown, adding that they will support it by not operating.
Comments doing the rounds on social media about a national shutdown to protest against fuel hikes on June 10, has received the attention of the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) in KwaZulu-Natal.
Santaco provincial spokesperson, Mduduzi Makhunga, said although the idea of the national shutdown is not that of the taxi council, if regular South Africans decide not to go to work or school on Friday; as taxi operators – they will not be taking anyone anywhere.
Makhunga said there is nothing they can do if people decide to embark on the shutdown, adding that they will support it by not operating.
“Santaco is looking at what is happening in the country. The recent petrol hikes are not only troubling regular South Africans but they are impacting us deeply as well as the taxi council. For now, as the leadership of Santaco at national level and the different provinces, we have not made a decision to strike against the petrol hikes but when we do, the country will not doubt that Santaco is behind the strike,” said Makhunga.
Earlier this week, people on social media have been lobbying civil society groups and trade union federation Cosatu to support the national shutdown.
Although, there has not been any confirmation of the shutdown from the SAPS, community policing forums across the country took to social media to say they have safety plans in place in case the national shutdown goes ahead.
Meanwhile Makhunga said due to the recent fuel hikes, commuters across South Africa should expect taxi fares to double from July 1.
“Since the start of June, taxi drivers have been putting up notices in their taxis on the increases that will be effective from July 1. Different taxi associations will have different increases for their different routes. Generally, local routes are increased by R2 but because of the recent petrol hikes, commuters may see increases of up to R4. In long-distance routes, there used to be R20 increases but now there could be increases of up to R30. Whoever fails to increase the taxi fare in July will have to wait for July 2023 to increase the fare,” said Makhunga.
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