TAXI TERROR CRIPPLES SCHOOLING

Private drivers allegedly intimidated by Uncedo

Parents’ privately arranged drivers say they were told to stay home or their cars would be torched

More than 100 pupils will have to miss school for a week because Uncedo Service Taxi Association-aligned drivers are allegedly intimidating their privately arranged transport.

According to concerned parents and teachers from various Butterworth primary schools, the private transport drivers were stopped en route to their 6am pick-up points by a number of taxi drivers in private vehicles.

The drivers said they were instructed to stop transporting the pupils because they did not have permits to do so.

If they did not comply their vehicles would be torched.

The pupils were told to take minibus taxis from the taxi rank instead.

Affected schools include Little Angels, Busy Bees, First Step, Good Shepherd, Emmanuel, and Bethel College Primary School.

A parent, Mlamli Memela said no taxi would fetch their children from right in front of their homes and drop them off again after school – something their private transport service did on a daily basis.

“The worst part is that we were given no warning.”

Busy Bees Primary principal Paul Lulema said they had immediately reported the incident to the Butterworth police station, only to be told they should contact the traffic department instead. At the traffic department, they were told the senior traffic officer who could deal with the matter was attending a court case in Mthatha.

On Friday, a meeting between parents, principal, transport officials and the taxi association was arranged for this Thursday to pave a way forward.

Attempts to reach Uncedo Service Taxi Association Butterworth chair, Mandla Ntakana, for comment were unsuccessful on Sunday.

“We provide this service because parents wanted safe and reliable transport for their children, many of whom are too young to be using taxis by themselves. We make no profit from providing this service, we are only doing it for the children,” Lulema said.

Although told by the taxi association that they would not be stopped from transporting the children until Thursday’s meeting, principal of Little Angels Primary, Andrew Poovan, said they did not want to put the children at risk.

“We are worried about this situation so we would rather just not transport them until the matter has been sorted out. “We have no issue getting permits if we need to – we are willing to co-operate with the taxi association,” he said.

Butterworth police spokesperson Captain Jackson Manatha said he would have to first investigate the matter, but the drivers should open a case of intimidation if they were threatened.

Provincial transport spokesperson Unathi Binqose condemned the incident.

They have no right to dictate to parents which mode of transport to use when getting their children to school.

“Parents may choose any vehicle from the community as long as that vehicle complies with the National Road Traffic Act.”

We make no profit from this service, we are only doing it for the children