Safety and removing unfit drivers from South Africa’s roads are not the issues behind a two-day minibus taxi strike that started on Monday, organisers said.
National Taxi Alliance (NTA) general secretary Alpheus Mlalazi said it supports all government endeavours in that regard.
The strike and a protest march on Monday were to protest against taxi drivers in Gauteng being harassed for not having permits.
”We are protesting the impounding of taxis. They have not given permits because of a failure on their part,” he said from Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown, Johannesburg, where irate taxi drivers were gathering to march on the offices of Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa and provincial minister of transport Khabisi Mosunkutu.
Mlalazi said there is a national moratorium on the issuing of new permits. As a consequence, new operators have to buy permits from existing holders. But doing so often takes one to three years because of the tardiness of the transport department.
Many operators feel they have no alternative but to operate without permits.
Mlalazi said he rejected attempts by the national and provincial departments to portray the strike as a protest against the confiscation of unroadworthy vehicles.
Earlier in the morning, national Department of Transport spokesperson Ndivhuwo Mabaya said that while the department respects the right of drivers and owners to protest, commuter safety and the removal of unroadworthy taxis and unfit drivers from the road are not negotiable.
The department is, however, willing to sit down with provincial transport departments to discuss other issues and reach amicable solutions.
”We call on drivers, commuters and the public to refuse to board unroadworthy and overloaded taxis and to report them to our toll-free 0861Â 400Â 800 number,” Mabaya said.
Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa’s office also said it is ready to sit down with taxi drivers and operators to discuss their grievances.
Spokesperson Thabo Masebe said a senior official has been delegated to receive a memorandum from an expected crowd of 5Â 000 protesting drivers later in the morning.
”The premier is aware of their concerns. We are prepared to sit down with them and discuss and find solutions to the issues,” he added.
Gauteng transport department spokesperson Sizwe Matshikiza said he had heard in news reports that the NTA — the organisers of the protest march and the two-day strike — would also deliver a memorandum at the offices of Mosunkutu.
He said they were not previously aware of this and would have an official ready to receive a memorandum if required.
Johannesburg Metro police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said traffic police were out in force to ensure the protesting taxi drivers caused as little disruption as possible before, during and after their march in the city centre during the late morning.
He asked the public to phone Tel:Â (011)Â 375Â 5911 should the protesting drivers disrupt the free flow of traffic outside their designated parking area.
”We will not tolerate any unruly taxi blockades,” he warned.
Minnaar said the drivers are protesting because ”they don’t want us to impound their vehicles”.
”We will not tolerate unroadworthy vehicles.”
The taxi drivers were expected to gather at Mary Fitzgerald Square from about 9am. They would park their vehicles then march along Bree, Simmonds, Fox, Sauer and Jeppe streets.
Minnaar said his information was that they would hand a memorandum to Mosunkutu’s office at 41 Simmonds Street and another to Shilowa’s at 31 Simmonds Street — close to the City Hall.
Minnaar said it was hoped the process would be finished by midday.
But by 10am only about 400 to 500 had gathered, a Sapa reporter at the square said.
He added that there was a large metro and South African Police Service presence.
Metrorail, the commuter rail service, reported fuller trains in the morning.
”Metrorail management and staff would like to assure all commuters that are affected by today’s taxi strike in Gauteng that all trains in the province are operating as per the normal schedule,” the company said in a statement.
”Contingency plans have been put in place to deal with the anticipated additional inflow of commuters at stations.
”It is with regret that we are unable to schedule additional train sets over and above the current normal service due to existing problems with our rolling stock,” acting chief executive Lauriette Modipane said. — Sapa