More taxi violence brewing in Tsakane

KwaThema – More taxi violence is brewing between the Greater Brakpan Taxi Association (GBTA) and the concerned taxi driver group.

It is alleged the taxi drivers belonging to the GBTA were chased out of the Tsakane taxi rank and denied use of their operational routes on Monday by the members of the concerned group.

On Friday the MEC of Transport, Ishmael Vadi, re-opened the taxi rank after shutting it down last Wednesday morning following four people being shot and killed while seven were left injured in Brakpan.

This was following a meeting with the concerned groups in the presence of the police, officials from the City of Ekurhuleni and Department of Roads and Transport.

A member of the GBTA says on Monday morning their drivers were denied access into the taxi rank and threatened by the members of the concerned group who sought to prevent them from using the operational routes.

“We are only able to operate between Springs, Tsakane and Dunswart and are prohibited to operate in Benoni, Johannesburg and Germiston.

“During the meeting with the representatives from the Department of Roads and Transport, we were urged to remove the security personnel stationed at the taxi rank.

“They promised us police officers will be designated at the taxi rank for the next 30 days until a resolution has been reached.

“But there is no sign of the police at the rank and our members are targeted.

“We will be left with no other option but to fight back if the need comes up,” he says.

The source says they feel let down by the department and municipality after they failed to fulfill the promises they made, including having a police presence in the area.

“We have informed the department about the latest developments but they have been quiet,” he says.