Johannesburg taxi commuters were without transport on Monday as members of Top Six Taxi Management gathered ahead of a planned march in the city centre aimed at highlighting problems relating to the issuing of permits to operators, Metro police said.
Superintendent Conel Mackay said on Monday it appeared that some had been assaulted at the corner of Village and Loveday streets, but he did not have further details.
Taximen were converging on Mary Fitzgerald Square, Newtown, ahead of the scheduled 9am assembly time, he said. Rush hour traffic on the Old Potchefstroom Road and on the Soweto Highway was also slow due to congestion caused by taxi drivers.
Mackay said police did not know how many protestors had gathered by 8am, but were expecting around 2000 people.
The march organisers plan to hand over protest memoranda to Gauteng transport MEC Khabisi Mosunkutu, Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa and officials at the African National Congress headquarters. Some members would be on foot and some in vehicles, Mackay said.
Marchers would move down Bree and Simmonds streets to deliver a memorandum to the transport MEC in the Sage Life Building. They would then move on to the premier’s office, also in Simmonds Street, to deliver a second memorandum.
From there they would proceed down Fox Street to Sauer Street to deliver the third memorandum to the ANC offices in Luthuli House, after which they would return to Mary Fitzgerald Square via Jeppe Street. The proceedings were expected to end by 1pm.
Although the march was expected to be peaceful, commuters were urged to avoid the area because of likely delays, Mackay said. – Sapa