Chaos as taxi drivers protest fines

Commuters left angry, stranded

Seeing no way to settle their accumulated traffic fines – some as high as R58 000 – infringing taxi drivers revolted in Pretoria yesterday.

As part of their protest aimed at forcing the City of Tshwane to cancel their fines, hundreds of taxi drivers took to the streets. They blocked railway lines in Soshanguve with objects, said Metrorail.

This led to the suspension of trains travelling between Mabopane and Soshanguve.

Protesting taxi drivers came from Mamelodi, Soshanguve, Mabopane and Atteridgeville.

Sowetan saw taxis leaving GaRankuwa, north of the city, without commuters who were left stranded. The taxi drivers drove in a convoy to Tshwane House, the municipal headquarters on Madiba Street. This cohort was seen guzzling quarts of beer in public.

Outside Tshwane House, where they delivered a memorandum, the protesters made it clear they wanted nothing but cancellation of their fines.

They claimed the fines barred them from renewing their driving licenses, licence discs and professional drivers permits.

“We’ve been turned into fraudsters because we drive with expired documents,” driver, Samuel Kgaphola said, who claimed he owed the municipality R15 000.

“Where do I get R15 000 for fines? What will my children eat,” Kgaphola asked. “I can’t renew anything before I pay. I’m forced to drive with no valid license or license disc.”

While Kgaphola was speaking about his fines, another driver said: “That’s nothing, I owe R58 000.”

Marumo Baloyi, who owes the metro R13 000, said authorities “would actually rake in a lot of money from the taxi industry if they were to grant us, drivers, an amnesty.

“There are so many of us driving with expired licenses. You can just imagine the money they could make if they allowed us to renew our papers.”

Tshwane transport MMC, Sheila Senkubuge, accepted the drivers’ memorandum of demands. She promised a response within 14 days.

“Currently, we do not have a mandate as a local government to scrap these fines,” Senkubuge told reporters.

/ THULANI MBELE Taxi operators in Marabastad, Pretoria, caused a traffic jam as they drove slowly to the Tshwane metro’s head office yesterday in protest against the traffic fines they owe to the municipality.