Taxi associations fight over route
Four taxis impounded and one patrol car vandalised.
In addressing the matter Diepkloof SAPS station commander Brigadier Malesela said, “The taxi business is not only about the owners, and thus the interests of the community need to be taken into consideration.
“Solutions must come from the associations themselves.”
“Four taxis were impounded and one patrol car was vandalised,” Malesela said.
Gauteng Traffic Police official Bongani Maseko said, “It is alleged that there were commuters who got injured.
“I am disappointed about what happened.
“Without the community, there is no taxi industry.
“This violence must stop.”
Bongani Mbele DTOA representative said, “We applied for a route to take our commuters to Bara taxi rank, which is still not processed.
“It has been two years since we applied for it.
“I do not understand why we are not allowed to take our commuters to Bara.
“Two of our taxis where attacked, and we therefore decided to vandalise their patrol car.
“The BMTA patrol cars must not work in Diepkloof.”
Thabo Mthupeng, representative from the registering and monitoring department said, “The two associations know that when there is a problem with a route, everything must be sent to their route manager and the route manager will talk to us.
“We are still not sure as to who must operate on this route.”
“Most of the route forms could be fraudulent and a task team must be appointed to investigate the matter.”
High police visibility was maintained and patrols are taking place around taxi route to ensure that there is no violence.
