Minibus taxi leaders in the Western Cape have accused the City of Cape Town of reneging on an agreement struck last Friday after at least six vehicles were impounded over the weekend.
The Western Cape SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) leaders are now threatening to take the City of Cape Town to court to seek an interdict preventing the municipality and law enforcement from impounding their vehicles.
Ivan Weldack, the Santaco Western Cape treasurer-general, who was speaking to news broadcaster Newzroom Afrika, accused the City of Cape Town authorities of acting in bad faith.
Weldack said the City of Cape Town leadership, led by Safety MMC JP Smith and Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, as well as Western Cape Transport MEC Ricardo Mackenzie, were acting in a manner to cause divisions within the minibus taxi industry.
“We believe the reason for doing this is to bring division in Santaco itself because we went back to our members on Friday and we communicate with them the agreement and they were happy and we start working, and then on Saturday this happens. They are putting the leadership lives at stake,” he said.
Weldack showed a video purportedly showing vehicles being impounded.
He said minibus taxi leaders would meet on Monday to decide on whether to go ahead with the court interdict.
Weldack said the agreement between them and the City promised that for the next 14 days, they would iron out the issues and impounding of minibus taxis would be on hold in the meantime.
“We have an urgent meeting to decide how to move forward about the interdict.
“We will first meet as PEC of the province because the City has not met their end of the agreement by impounding the vehicles,” he said.
Although disagreements have arisen, Santaco said commuters need not be concerned as they would continue to service them.
“We will continue as we agreed on,” he said.
Meanwhile, Smith clarified on Friday that minibus taxi impoundments under the National Land Transportation Act (NLTA) would continue for vehicles operating without an operating license, or on the incorrect route, or without a driver’s license, or which are not roadworthy.
“We have agreed that the Taxi Task Team will further define a list, within 14 days, of additional major offences in terms of which vehicles will continue to be impounded in future.
“This will take the form of an Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to guide enforcement staff on the exercise of the discretionary power provided for in the NLTA.
“Our focus in the task team will be to ensure that all traffic offences which impact on commuter safety remain as major offences.
“Road safety for commuters and other road users is a non-negotiable, a position the City has not budged on,” said Smith.
He added that the task team would compile a list of minor offences, which do not have commuter safety implications, which will not be impoundable.
“The City continues to believe it will be able to demonstrate to Santaco that we have already been following this distinction for some time,” said Smith.
Smith said Santaco had also agreed it would not call a strike in the middle of the day and would in future, give at least 36 hours notice.
IOL.