At least 16 taxis were impounded on Monday morning (22 June) as the taxi industry disrupted traffic on the R28 between Randfontein and Westonaria.
Kenny Mampondo, chief of the Rand West City Traffic Department confirmed to the Herald that the R559, which is a provincial road, was also blocked as early as 2am, followed by the R28.
Taxi drivers were blocking the way and nobody could leave the Mohlakeng and Toekomsrus areas. Learners were unable to go to school, and people could not go to work. It was an inconvenience.”
As a result, Mampondo said, law-enforcement agencies had to use minimum force to calm the situation.
“A total of 16 taxis that taxi drivers/ owners left unattended were impounded, and 11 people were arrested. The situation is calm now,” he told the Herald on Monday afternoon.
The disruption by the taxi industry was expected following Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula’s announcement of a R1,135 billion Covid-19 relief fund for the transport industry, of which taxi operators wanted a bigger share. This demand was in light of the informal industry losing an estimated R25 million a day due to lockdown regulations.
Johannesburg Metro Police Department spokesperson, Wayne Minnaar said earlier that multiple law-enforcement agencies would be on alert and conduct joint operations to monitor events if the strike was to go ahead.
Johan Krogh, General Manager of EPR West Rand, described the situation this morning as “chaos on the roads”.
