The Western Cape transport department is open to resolving the taxi conflict in the region amicably, provincial transport minister Mcebisi Skwatsha said on Tuesday.
He was responding to a memorandum handed over after a march earlier in the day by disgruntled Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) operators and drivers, who besieged the building housing his ministry.
”I want to say that my door is still open for us to resolve this problem amicably,” said Skwatsha in a statement.
However, he reiterated that as much as he accepts the constitutional right for Cata to march, he will not tolerate ”bullying tactics” when the lines of communication are clearly defined for the taxi industry.
Skwatsha said it is unfortunate that Cata chose to march to his offices and make allegations, in a memorandum, that he is biased in favour of rival taxi group the Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations (Codeta).
Skwatsha said he issued a proclamation closing taxi ranks at Bellville, Kraaifontein and Brackenfell for 30 days, in part to ensure that there was no further loss of life.
The proclamation, in effect since midnight on Monday, was issued after months of shootings between rivals Cata and Codeta.
Road closures
On Tuesday, as the first effects of the proclamation bit, placard-bearing operators from Cata converged on Skwatsha’s offices, forcing road closures between Leeuwen and Long streets as police cordoned off the entrance.
Cata president Centani Alfred Maseti urged Skwatsha to stop others from taking over Cata ranks, saying his association has had permits to operate since 1996.
”We worked 11 years without any problem,” he said, alleging that Codeta started the latest round of violence by not honouring agreements to use the Bellville interchange, and instead transporting commuters directly to their destinations.
At the root of the present unrest is the recently completed Cape Gate mall near Kraaifontein.
Maseti said Codeta does not respect the law.
”They have their own law,” he said. He said Cata wants Minister of Transport Jeff Radebe to intervene.
Maseti promised his association will not shoot anybody in revenge for four Cata drivers killed in recent months.
”I am a peace man and don’t want violence in the Western Cape,” he said.
Codeta not informed
Meanwhile, Codeta lawyer Celeste Holmes said Skwatsha did not inform the organisation about the closures — orally or in writing.
”The first my clients heard about it was on TV,” Holmes said.
She said the Khayelitsha community has approached Codeta to ask for direct transport to Cape Gate mall. This direct transport and return will cost R14, down from the R27 if commuters use the interchange.
Compounding problems at the Bellville interchange is the fact that Codeta and Cata are supposed to have 15 loading zones each.
However, in 2003, Cata ”took over” another seven zones, and attempts to get the provincial government to look into the matter failed.
Holmes said Cata also refuses to allow Codeta taxis to pick up commuters to Kraaifontein, threatening passengers and shooting at drivers.
Closures ‘foolish’
Meanwhile, Democratic Alliance provincial transport spokesperson Robin Carlisle denounced the taxi route closures as ”ad hoc” and ”foolish”.
Carlisle said the closures are not the answer to the taxi problem, causing nothing but ”chaos, inconvenience and lost productivity”.
He said it is essential that Skwatsha and provincial community safety minister Leonard Ramatlakane need to be relieved of any responsibility for managing the taxi crisis, and that regulation of the industry be applied without fear or favour.
”If the government fails to carry out these two steps, we will all have to buckle up for what will be a very rough ride,” he said in a statement. — Sapa