Johannesburg commuters were left stranded on Tuesday morning as thousands of taxi drivers protested against the bus rapid transit system (BRT) amid reports of violence.
A bus driver was shot and seriously wounded in Soweto on Tuesday morning, Johannesburg emergency services confirmed.
”The driver of the Putco bus was picking up passengers near the Merafe hostel. He was approached by a person or persons who allegedly
shot at him whilst he was in the driver’s seat,” said spokesperson Percy Morokane.
”People who were inside the bus and preparing to get into the bus got such a shock that they fled in all directions.
”A good Samaritan took him to the Jabulani fire station where he was in a serious condition. He was stabilised and taken to the Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital,” said Morokane.
The shooting happened at about 5.40am as commuters queued for alternative transport.
Talk Radio 702 reported that metro police officers had shot a taxi driver with rubber bullets near the R553. The driver was taken to hospital and his taxi was towed away.
702 also reported that the northbound N1 was practically a ”parking lot”.
Protesters were also blocking the Old Potchefstroom road, South African Broadcasting Corporation news reported.
Minnaar said protesters were expected to congregate from 9am on Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown for a protest march through the city. It was expected to finish by 2.30pm. Motorists were advised to avoid Bree and Simmonds Street.
About 550 minibus taxis will be scrapped or removed from Johannesburg’s roads to make way for the city’s new bus system, officials said on Monday.
There would be no job losses as taxi drivers would be retrained as bus drivers, the Johannesburg taxi industry’s BRT steering committee told a press briefing.
”The agreement with government is that there may be no job losses,” said executive member of the committee Babu Maharaj.
The affected drivers could expect better salaries and formal benefits as they would be part of the bus industry.
The committee also called on the city’s taxi operators to be part of negotiations involving a possible R2,5-billion contract with the city. It was currently thrashing out a contract for operators to own the first phase of the BRT system over the next 12 years.
The first phase of the BRT was expected to be in place by June 1 2009. It would run from Regina Mundi church in Soweto, past the Orlando and FNB stadiums and end at Ellis Park stadium. Maharaj said he was very confident the industry would reach an agreement with the city of Johannesburg. ”We have received the amount of kilometers that the buses will run. We are just waiting for their timetable,” he said. – Sapa