Cape Town - The Eastern Cape Transport Department has issued a stern warning against the blockading of the province’s main roads amid protest actions, and it will lay charges against those causing chaos to traffic.
This comes after taxi operators embarked on protest action on Thursday following a disagreement between the SA Taxi Council (Santaco) and the Eastern Cape Department of Transport.
This follows after Border Alliance Taxi Association in Dutywa circulated a WhatsApp voice note informing its members and taxi drivers in the province that, on Thursday, they were not allowed to transport passengers.
The voice note confirmed the decision to stage the protest was made in a Santaco meeting in Mthatha, and the demands include revealing the amount of money paid to transport owners, paying taxis and buses operating scholar transport since November last year, paying those driving on gravel roads more, and increasing rates whenever petrol prices rise.
This resulted in two major roads shut down on Thursday as taxi drivers protested changes to the department's scholar transportation arrangement.
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— Big sis ✝️☕️🌻![CDATA[]]>🌻![CDATA[]]>🌻 (@Zods_M) March 23, 2023
Speaking to SAfm, the department’s spokesperson Unathi Bhinqose said they did not expect the protest would continue on Friday, given the fact they had agreed to a meeting on Monday there won’t be a protest.
“However, we need to condemn the blocking of roads as it affects just about everyone. We are talking about some of the major arteries that are keeping our economy going.
“For that reason, we need to warn those who continue to do these things that sooner or later, thy will face the full might of the law,” Bhinqose said.
Bhinqose also said charges had been laid against the instigators for blocking public roads, so there would be repercussions for these actions.
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Bhinqose previously said that money to pay operators were available, and many have been paid, and the only outstanding payments were those that have been found to be non-compliant.
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“For them to close off public roads affects everyone, including their fellow taxi operators who have no business with scholar transport, and it is something that is completely uncalled for,” he said.
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— Msizi Mathobela (@MathobelaMsiziK) March 23, 2023
Eastern Cape provincial co-ordinator for Santaco, Gabs Mtshala, said they were not taking part in the provincial shutdown as they were not aware of the reasons for such action, and were not part of the meeting that decided on it.
“We, therefore, call upon our constituency and members to continue with business as usual,” Mtshala said.
— Msizi Mathobela (@MathobelaMsiziK) March 23, 2023
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