Commuters were seen stranded late Monday morning as taxi operators in Gauteng decided to embark on a shutdown in protest against the government’s relief package for the taxi industry.
The SANDF was deployed in order to alleviate traffic and manage the situation. The taxi operators have expressed their disapproval of Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula’s announcement of a R1.135-billion Covid-19 relief fund for the transport industry.
With the hashtag #Taxistrike trending on Twitter, a number of incidents are being reported, with visuals of long queues for bus services also being shared.
MasterDrive managing director Eugene Herbert offered some tips to avoid trouble during the protests.
“The objective is to avoid the strike completely. Never let a potentially volatile strike catch you by surprise or block yourself in when things can go wrong. South African drivers should be prepared for every scenario,” Herbert said.
Over the weekend, the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) was alerted by its Gauteng wing that its operators planned to shut the province down in response to Mbalula’s announcement.
According to Santaco spokesperson Thabisho Molelekwa, the bodies also demand that government backtrack on its intensified impounding operations, which had seen even less taxis on the province’s roads.
“From what they have told us in the letter, the purpose of the strike is to express their dissatisfaction with the announcement regarding the relief fund for the taxi industry, which is very small,” said Molelekwa.
Taxi drivers were also taking issue with targeted operations around the province leading the mass impounding of operating taxis. This has led to even more taxi operators running out of business due to the lockdown.
READ NEXT: Watch: Early morning blockades as Gauteng taxi strike starts
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