The possibility of a nationwide taxi strike cannot be ruled out should the Department of Transport fail to comply with taxi owners’ demands over operating permits, a spokesperson said on Friday.
South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) members marched to the Union Buildings to hand over a memorandum to Minister of Transport Jeff Radebe challenging the looming deadline for the conversion of taxi operating permits.
A spokesperson, who did not want to be named, said the May 31 deadline for the conversion of permits makes no sense to the thousands of taxi operators.
He said there are no regional bodies to administer the process, there is a huge backlog in applications and the concept of conversions in itself makes little sense.
Police estimated about 7 000 marchers from the various provincial regional taxi associations had gathered on the Union Buildings’ lawns.
The march was overseen by dozens of police on foot and horseback and sections of Church Street in front of the Union Buildings were blocked off.
Santaco president AJ Mthemdu was to deliver a memorandum to either the minister or the Deputy Director General of Transport, Lucky Montana.
Later in the afternoon he would address the media about Santaco’s action plan regarding the operating permits. — Sapa