About 1 000 taxi passengers burned tyres and blocked off taxis on Monday in Chatsworth, Durban, in a protest against fares, the Daily News reported.
Its website said the protesters — armed with sjamboks, stones and sticks — said a R1,50 taxi-fare hike would ”break their backs”.
Tyres were burned and strewn across the Ebhodini Road taxi rank in Welbedacht West as protesters demanded a meeting with provincial community safety minister Bheki Cele.
About 300 armed police officers, some with riot shields, were dispatched to the scene.
The fare from Welbedacht to Durban rose from R7 to R8,50, and to Pinetown from R6 to R7,50.
Commuters complained that they were hit by two fare increases in as many months.
Taxi owners, for their part, contended the new fares were unavoidable because of petrol-price rises.
Themba Mdletshe, secretary of the Klaarwater and St Wendolin’s Taxi Association, said: ”None of the taxis are operating at the village right now as they were prevented from leaving the rank.”
Protester Edward Mvubu said the taxi fares were pushed up without warning.
”This is unacceptable because these people only carried enough money with them to go and return from their destinations,” he said. — Sapa