R538 in Masoyi currently closed due to protest

Taxi operators barricaded the R538 on Monday morning, September 26, demanding that Buscor stop transporting commuters during the day, especially those who pay cash.

Some of the taxi operators, who wanted to remain anonymous, said most people prefer to use buses as a method of transport instead of minibuses due to price hikes, and they are losing business.

“We have tried to engage with Buscor to only allow people with weekly or monthly tickets during the day. Those who are paying cash must use a taxi. But our plea was ignored, we are going to make sure they do not operate until they meet our demands,” they said.

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While the chairperson of the White Hazy Taxi Association, Sayid Milazi, said they are distancing themselves from the taxi operators who barricaded the Buscor depots, because it was not communicated with his office. “As chairperson, I was shocked to learn that some of our members embarked on a protest and blocked Buscor buses, and the association was not informed. However, we are going to engage with our members to resolve the problem, because at the moment the area is on a standstill as cars cannot move. We believe that the behaviour of some of the taxi operators has angered the community members,” he said.

The spokesperson for Buscor, Thomas Lubisi, confirmed that some of the bus depots were blocked by taxi drivers. He said they did not know why. “We are aware that in some areas our buses were not operating, and we are trying to resolve the matter. Our problem is that we do not know why they are targeting us, because no one from the taxi association came to us. However, we will wait for them to come to us, and then we will deal with the matter then,” he said.

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The R538 in Masoyi to the Numbi Gate, Pienaar and some parts of Nkomazi were affected. However, some of the community also embarked on the protest to barricade the road so that the taxis could not operate, claiming that the taxi prices were expensive and that the Buscor buses were charging reasonable fares.

The road remains closed. The police are currently on the scene monitoring the situation. Motorists are advised to use alternative roads to avoid delays.