Fighting taxi owners to resume talks

Tsakane – Talks are set to resume between the Greater Brakpan Taxi Association members and illegal taxi operators working in the area.

This is after operational differences led to four people dying during a gun fight in Brakpan on Tuesday morning.

The fight is between the Brakpan Taxi Association members and illegal taxi operators operating on Johannesburg, Benoni and Germiston routes.

The MEC of Transport, Ismail Vadi, shut down the Tsakane Taxi Rank until the situation stabilises and an agreement is reached with the taxi operators.

A statement released by the Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Roads and Transport Portfolio Committee, Chairperson, Mafika Mgcina, says the department commends the action taken by the Vadi.

“We are happy about the arrests that have been made by the law enforcement agencies.

“We are pre-occupied with ensuring that the Gauteng Transport Department carries out the recommendations resolved by the Portfolio Committee in the inquiry report of taxi permits and licenses that was concluded last year.

“The purpose of conducting the Committee Inquiry on Taxi Permits and Operating Licenses was to find a lasting solution to the challenges surrounding the delays in the issuance of the taxi permits and licences to the taxi operators.

“Taxi routes and permits are among the top issues of conflict within taxi associations, resulting in killings where innocent passengers find themselves in the crossfire.

“As a committee we are continuing with our oversight mandate over the department of roads and transport and we will continue to engage and oversee the implementation of the recommendations as stipulated in the report to curb the taxi industry violence,” says Mgcina.

The taxi rank has been shut down since Tuesday with high police presence.