Traffic was disrupted between Nelspruit and Riverside in Mpumalanga on Monday when thousands of taxi operators marched to the premier’s office to hand over a memorandum outlining grievances, South African Broadcasting Corporation news reported on Monday.
The taxi operators want the government to abandon its planned taxi-recapitalisation programme, aimed at introducing new taxis.
The march left commuters in most parts of the province without transport.
Last month, Tom Muofhe, president of the South African National Taxi Council, said the scrapping of old minibus taxis will start as soon as next month.
Taxi owners will be paid R50 000 for each vehicle scrapped.
The government will make R900-million available over the next three years for this purpose.
”The next step, the minister is going to announce the final specifications … Then we wait for the manufacturers to make the right vehicle that [fits] the specifications,” Muofhe said.
The recapitalisation programme is to be financed by the country’s leading banks.
Minister of Transport Jeff Radebe said in February his department will not brook delays or compromise in replacing the country’s fleet of tired, old minibus taxis with new, safe, and larger buses.
At the time, the date for the roll-out was April 1, the start of the government’s financial year. — Sapa