The SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) confirmed on Sunday that its plans to shut down operations in Gauteng on Monday will go ahead as it presses the government to review the industry’s financial relief.
The government has set aside R1.1 billion to help the transport sector to get back on its feet, however, the taxi associations said this amount was not enough as it will also include e-haling and metered taxi services.
Santaco spokesperson Midday Mali said on Sunday that the strike would be a peaceful one and that there would be no disruption of alternative transport that commuters may opt for.
“Taxi drivers will keep their vehicles parked at the taxi ranks and not ferry any commuters for the duration of the strike. Commuters are free to use other means of transport and we will not disrupt them.
“The problem is that we are supposed to share this money with the e-hailing and metered taxis and when you calculations this it comes down to less than R3 000 in relief,” he said.
#TaxiShutdown Taxi operators here at Bree Taxi Rank say they don’t know what’s going on and whether they should be striking. They said they woke up this morning and saw there was a strike but were not told anything @TeamNews24 pic.twitter.com/IkfSX6yN9x
— Azarrah Karrim (@azarrahk) June 22, 2020
The taxi industry wants about R20 000 per taxi but Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula said the government would only offer R5 000 per taxi and this was a once-off payment. He said the R1.135bn taxi relief was not a compensation for a loss of income.
Our crane is on the far right, they have confiscated our crane keys and tried to force my operator in a taxi
Police are no where to be found. @SABCNews @MorningLiveSABC @METROFMSA @eNCA @Radio702 @TrafficRTMC pic.twitter.com/wa3WCB7Sxf— James Bond Nkosi (@BondNkosi) June 22, 2020
In Olievenhoutbos there are delays on the R55 due to the ongoing #Taxistrike – commuters are opting to walk to work #PTATraffic #POWERBreakfast pic.twitter.com/ehXR5BCf2I
— SA emergency reports (@MARIUSBROODRYK) June 22, 2020
#TaxiShutdown Commuters trying to hail taxis passing by but none stopping @TeamNews24 pic.twitter.com/lHumxgdmVf
— Azarrah Karrim (@azarrahk) June 22, 2020
In other news – Ntando Duma celebrates her ex-lover and baby daddy, Junior De Rocka’s girlfriend
Taking to Instagram, Junior shared a photo of his girlfriend on her birthday, and Duma commented on the photo; “Happy birthday to your Queen. Read more
Source: IOL