According to commuter Busi Masuku, who waited for a taxi at the corner of Malandela and Zulu Streets for an hour, nobody told her what was going on.
She explains they normally find taxis waiting for commuters at this corner, and that the taxi association did not warn them of the delay as they usually do.
Commuter Joe Mabena says the Dunswart taxis have never been problematic and he does not know what the cause of the delay is.
“We use taxis because they are quicker and more reliable than a train, but now taxis are clearly also not reliable any more,” he says.
According to spokesperson of the Tsakane Police Station, Captain Petrus Mabuza, the absence of the taxis could have been the result of an Easter operation conducted by the SAPS and the EMPD.
The operation was in preparation for the Easter weekend, and unroadworthy vehicles were being stopped and removed from the roads.
Mabuza says the operation was not just targeting taxi drivers in Tsakane, but all unroadworthy vehicles.
“The taxi drivers were escaping from the police and traffic officers, that is why there might have been a shortage of taxis” he says.
Bongane Msiza, the chairperson of the Brakpan Taxi Association, says the association was caught by surprise and he apologises to commuters for the inconvenience.
He believes the EMPD and the SAPS were targeting taxis, as a number of taxis were confiscated, despite some of the drivers having permits.
In his conclusion, he says taxi owners fear to approach the EMPD because sometimes they are fined even if they have permits.
