Gear up for taxi strike

FROM 4am today, thousands of taxi commuters are expected to be left stranded as taxi operators go on strike.

The strike has been called by operators affiliated to the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco).

The Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) and Congress for Democratic Taxi Associations (Codeta) have also said there will be no taxis operating today.

Pamphlets warning customers to make alternative arrangements were circulated in the city centre at the weekend.

The associations were apparently downing tools over dissatisfaction with law enforcement officials impounding vehicles and a disagreement over their leadership in the province.

Organisers of the strike said the current provincial leadership’s term came to an end in March.

They want certain issues ironed out before the next provincial elective conference.

But Santaco’s provincial chairperson, Vernon Billet, has said he was not informed about the strike action.

“We are not aware of the strike. It was never communicated to us and is not something we support,” he said.

Billet said “a group who want to change policies of the organisation outside of conference who refused to listen to reason” were the instigators.

According to Santaco secretary-general Phillip Taaibos, the strike only affected the Western Cape.

The group has asked Public Works and Transport MEC Donald Grant to intervene before the strike can be called off. A meeting with Grant was scheduled for this evening.

Provincial Minibus Taxi Task Team and Codeta spokesperson Besuthu Ndungane said it was hoped that the meeting with Grant would resolve their issues and taxi operations would commence tomorrow. However, the strike would continue if they failed to come up with a solution, he said.

“We want a pre-elective conference that will discuss the logistics of the elective conference. The pre-conference will have to happen at the beginning of October because we want a new leadership by the end of October,” said Ndungane.

He said the Minibus Taxi Task Team had engaged Grant on numerous occasions but there had been no solutions. “We feel commuters’ pain and we know they will be stranded but we have no choice, because striking is the only language the government knows,” Ndungane said.

Asked why he had not met industry representatives earlier, Grant said his officials met them on Thursday and a follow-up meeting was scheduled for today. “I can’t rush that process.”

He said he could not preempt outcomes of the meeting but was hoping for positive results.

“I will meet with them and listen to them very attentively. I don’t know what they are going to say.

“I am told by my officials there are two sides and could be more. I regret commuters will be stranded. I hope that people realise they have a duty to commuters,” Grant said.

Police spokesperson Novela Potelwa said police units would be sent to identified locations and taxi hubs to ensure the safety of commuters and motorists.

“We urge those participating in the strike to respect other road users who are not part of the strike,” she said.

Golden Arrow Bus Services spokesperson Bronwen DykeBeyer said buses would operate as normal.

“We are monitoring the situation very closely,” she said.

We know they will be stranded, but we have no choice