Santaco appeals to taxi operators not to block roads in Gauteng

SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) Gauteng spokesperson Midday Mali has called for taxi operators who are reportedly blocking roads with their taxis around Johannesburg and Pretoria to remove them as this is meant to be a peaceful shutdown.

Santaco members are protesting against the COVID-19 relief package as announced by Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula on Friday. They say the funding is not enough.

Mali says: “I want to appeal to those who are blocking the roads. This shutdown, it’s a peaceful shutdown, let them open those roads. We even issued the instruction as a taxi industry in Gauteng that let our cars not wake up. We expect those vehicles to be at home to be where they supposed to park. I am appealing to them that let them open those roads because we made a statement that says let our commuters look for alternative transport.”

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In Alexandra township north of Johannesburg, commuters say the strike will have dire consequences for their jobs. They say their bosses and companies will never understand that they didn’t have any means of transport to report for duty.

The video below is on the situation at Dobsonville in Soweto:

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In Orange Farm, taxi operators have blocked roads with their vehicles making it difficult for busses to operate. This is despite the call by Gauteng MEC for Transport Jacob Mamabolo that those who wish to operate during the strike should not be intimidated.

Commuters at Mabopane station, north of Pretoria, have also been left stranded.

The morning hustle and bustle that the Mabopane station is known for is non-existent this morning, with no single taxi in sight. Bus company, Putco, is also not available after receiving a stern warning from the taxi industry to cease operations. While some commuters have decided to go back home after hours of playing the waiting game, others remain hopeful that they might get lucky.

VIDEO: Soldiers and SAPS ordering protesting taxi operators to open the road in 5 minutes #Taxistrike #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/AOWMyCXIE5

— Tshepiso Moche (@tshepimoche) June 22, 2020

VIDEO: #SANDF and SAPS officials arriving to open the blocked R80 Mabopane Highway coming from Soshanguve direction. #Taxistrike #TaxiShutdown #SABCNews pic.twitter.com/ABPVvOJ0RI

— Tshepiso Moche (@tshepimoche) June 22, 2020

In the video below the Department of Transport appeals for Santaco not to strike:

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