WATCH: Scheduled Knysna taxi protest in full swing

Taxi drivers are getting ready to take part in today’s protest action.

According to a briefing at Sanlam Centre in Nekkies this morning, no taxis in Knysna will be operating until 8pm tonight, Knysna Plett Herald reports.

READ MORE: Taxi drivers ‘need to join bus strike’

The march is alcohol and violence-free, says Knysna Taxi Forum secretary Mandla Tyololo.

“Our march is aimed at handing over a petition to court, police, Knysna municipality, not the community members, so please feel free to use your transport,” the Knysna Taxi Forum explained last week.

According to Knysna Taxi Forum secretary Mandla Tyololo, the petition is for the following reasons:

1. We need clean and safe public toilets and security at our taxi rank, Sanlam and Masifunde (library)
2. Knysna municipality is refusing to grant us taxi operating licences, and yet they are confiscating our vehicles, and only release them when we pay a lot of them.
3. Robots at Sanlam and Lemko
4. Pickup and drop-off zones (stops) in our locations
5. Drop-off zone at Oupad (eGeythini)
6. Abuse of public and taxi drivers by traffic officers
7. Uneven roads in our locations
8. Taxi officers at the taxi rank

Court and police grievances

1. Slow and poor service of the police in attending to public complaints
2. Withdrawal of reported cases without consulting with the complainant
3. Granting of bails to accused people on serious cases such as rape, house robberies, theft, murders and many more without knowledge of complainants and family members concerned

The route is from the N2 at Nekkies on the eastern side of Knysna, proceeding to Long and Clyde streets, then back on the N2 to Nekkies.

Service delivery may be affected in some areas.

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