Taxi body warns of disruptions amid march

KWAZULU-NATAL taxi drivers and owners are expected to joined a national protest march in Pretoria today.

Theo Malele, spokesperson for the National Taxi Association (NTA), said yesterday they were expecting thousands of people from around the country at the march to the office of Minister of Transport Joe Maswanganyi.

They would deliver a memorandum of grievances to him and the Office of the Presidency at the Union Buildings. These include grievances about the taxi recapitalisation process, the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Bill and the non-issuing of permits, said Malele.

“Our members will travel to the march in their Kombis so there is going to be a disruption. That is why we notified everyone early so they could make alternative arrangements,” he said.

Malele apologised to commuters, assuring the public that the march would be peaceful.

“We gave the minister an ultimatum and his failure to engage with us has left us no choice but to deliver the memorandum to him,” said Malele.

Transport spokesperson Ishmael Mnisi said the minister was fully committed to the provision of a safe, secure, reliable and quality public transport system. “Also, as the majority of issues raised by the industry involve matters which are responsibilities of provinces and municipalities, we remain committed to have a follow-up meeting with the MEC and representatives of the South African Local Government Association (Salga).”

Mnisi said the department was available to meet with the NTA at a technical level to deal with any urgent matter before the meeting with the minister, MECs and Salga to resolve any impasse.

Malele said there was no planned protest action in provinces outside of Gauteng.