/ 26 October 2006

Buses hijacked in W Cape taxi protest

A bus was burned and two were hijacked during a violent protest by taxi drivers in Cape Town on Thursday morning, the Golden Arrow bus company said. One of the hijacked buses was used to block off the N2 highway.

”There have been numerous stonings, and several bus passengers and drivers have been injured by shattered glass,” said the company’s general manager, Francois Meyer.

Because of the danger, the company is currently not operating in the Nyanga, Potsdam and Du Noon areas, as well as Khayelitsha’s Site C.

Police were not immediately able to confirm reports that members of the force fired rubber bullets to disperse taxi drivers as they embarked on an illegal march from the Cape Flats to Cape Town.

In a memorandum of demands distributed to the media, the drivers said they were protesting against what they called harassment by law-enforcement officials. ”Officers must stop hiding behind bridges and bushes,” they said.

They said no taxi driver should be arrested on the road as this leaves commuters stranded.

They also asked for ”separate cells” at police stations, and called for the cancellation of all outstanding traffic fines and warrants ”as the [sic] were accumulated because of the problems we are highlighting”.

”City police must stop assaulting and harassing taxi drives [sic] should this continue taxi drives will be force to defend themselves,” the statement read.

Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association spokesperson Alfred Maseti said that when drivers began marching from ranks including Nyanga and Khayelitsha, the police stopped them as the march was illegal.

”And then the rubber bullets fly,” he said. He had not received any reports of injuries.

He said it was the drivers themselves who had decided to go on strike, rather than any of the recognised taxi associations. ”We did try to stop them on several occasions, but at this point in time it was beyond our power. They said they are sick and tired,” he said.

Law-enforcement officials said one of the roads blockaded with vehicles by taxi drivers was the Borcherd’s Quarry road, which is the access road from the N2 to Cape Town International Airport.

There was a strong police presence at various points along the N2.

Democratic Alliance provincial spokesperson for transport Robin Carlisle said the taxi blockades and demonstrations have to be dealt with by the law firmly and urgently. ”The public not only expects the police to disperse the taxis, but that arrests are made and taxis are impounded,” he said.

”Both provincial and municipal officials have at last commenced with regulating the taxi industry. If they lose their nerve now, the industry will be out of control for years to come.” — Sapa