Taxi drivers arrested over protest

SIX minibus taxi drivers were arrested for hindering and obstructing infrastructure in front of the Gallows Hill Traffic Department yesterday.

Police spokesperson Siyabulela Malo said the suspects, aged between 22 and 41, would remain in custody until their first court appearance.

Malo said they were arrested on the corners of Somerset and Ebenezer Roads by members of the Public Order Policing unit.

“The suspects were detained and charged for hindering and obstructing infrastructure, and for blocking an intersection,” Malo said.

Mayco Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, said the City of Cape Town’s Traffic Service had impounded 47 minibus taxis during the protest. He said their officials were engaging with taxi drivers who had staged a second illegal blockade outside Gallows Hill in Green Point.

In addition to the impoundments, Smith said the City would make submissions to the Provincial Regulatory Authority seeking the suspension of any operating licences linked to the impounded vehicles and their owners.

“This is the second illegal blockade in as many days, and the City cannot tolerate such behaviour. It causes untold frustration to motorists and it harms the economy, which we can ill afford,” Smith said.

He added that the City’s Directorate, Transport had scheduled a meeting with the affected taxi associations.

“The purpose of the meeting is to discuss their grievances,” Smith said. “I’m urging the taxi associations to speak to their members so that we can resolve this impasse as soon as possible.”

On Saturday, the acting chairperson of the Central Unity Taxi Association, Sabelo Nyama, claimed that they were being targeted for operating without permits, and said the City had been dragging its feet in issuing the documents.