Shutdown of Pretoria over one bill battle

PRETORIA will face yet another shutdown this Thursday as the ongoing impasse regarding the implementation of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) and the City of Tshwane’s one bill continues.

This time the march will be organised by the regional branch of the SA National Civic Organisation (Sanco), supported by taxi drivers from across the city.

Sanco regional chairperson Sam Matlala said following numerous failed attempts to bring the City of Tshwane to the negotiation table, they had chosen to take to the streets once again regarding the bill issue.

He said the key issues they would be marching for included the insistence by the metro on using the one bill system, which he stated disadvantaged the poorest communities.

He said they had also taken the decision to march against the continued use of the Aarto, which placed taxi drivers in a precarious situation.

Taxi drivers and Sanco members have agreed to convene at Marabastad and march to Tshwane House from 11am.

With regards to issues with the one bill system, Sam Mgobozi, mayoral spokesperson, said communities were being taken advantage of and fed incorrect information.

“There are certain groups who are giving people false hope and trying to make it appear as though the city has become ungovernable which is not the case.”