The South African National Taxi Council has announced a shutdown next week.
After a meeting, the council’s Western Cape chairperson Mandla Hermanus said they would have a shutdown on Wednesday, February 22.
This week, a public meeting was held at Portland Indoor Centre in Mitchells Plain to discuss four main disputes they have with Western Cape government, including the the most recent blockade of scholar transport by the Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Association (Codeta).
Hermanus added that all operators would park their taxis at home or at the various ranks in the metro.
“The issues are the continued, unfair impoundment of minibus taxis for minor traffic violations by drivers.
“The continued marginalisation of the taxi industry in the issuing of operating licences. The City of Cape Town recently lifted a moratorium on metered-taxi operating licences, which will result in more than 2 000 new operating licences for the e-hailing providers. On the other hand there is going to be a five-year moratorium on minibus taxi operating licences, without first legalising all current illegal operators.”
He also said the provincial government had allowed Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS) to continue operating on route B97 from Mbekweni to Paarl, even though the route was officially reopened to the taxi associations on December 8.
Hermanus said Santaco would engage the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) about the scholar transport issue.
“We engaged the operators from Khayelitsha and surrounding areas where there is a blockade of scholar transport.
“The leadership from those associations agreed to allow Santaco to intervene and communicate with WCED.
“They indicated that WCED made it clear that a meeting with them is out of the question whilst the blockade is continuing,” he said.
“We have undertaken to request a meeting with WCED, which will not include the leadership of Codeta, to look at ways of bringing this to an end.
“Santaco noted the impact this is having on learners who are from the poorest communities as they lose valuable time.”
Education MEC David Maynier said the blockade of scholar transport continued into its third day on Wednesday, with 4 500 learners unable to get to school.
“Minibus taxi associations have continued to keep learners in Khayelitsha out of class by harassing and threatening learner transport operators, private transport, and even parents driving their children to school,” he said.
In a statement, Codeta’s secretary Nceba Enge said they would provide transport for learners who are using the services provided by the department.
"We would like all the people who transport our children to school to start doing so (from Thursday) morning. This is in exception of the buses (contracted by the education department) in this case, Codeta will provide transport to these children free of charge (from) February 16 until next Thursday. This is to give the WCED (an opportunity) to resume the talks as soon as possible."
Weekend Argus