Commuters in the hotspots of the ongoing taxi war will still have to use alternative transportation as industry dik dinge are still hakking vas.
Yesterday in a joint briefing, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula and MEC Daylin Mitchell said taxi users will have to wait for the negotiations between Cata and Codeta to conclude.
The two associations have been locked in meetings since last Friday after eight people were shot and killed in a dispute over the Paarl/Mbekweni to Bellville route.
The only agreement they had reached by Thursday was to stop the violence.
Mbalula explains: “The taxi industry unequivocally rejected violence as a means to solve problems. This is a commitment that we will hold the industry accountable to.”
The bloody war has seen more than 80 people killed including passengers since January.
Last Friday, both associations agreed to halt operations until an agreement is reached.
However, when commuters turned to Golden Arrow Bus Services, three buses were targeted in separate shooting attacks this week.
On Tuesday, drivers refused to get behind the wheel and GABS reduced services to 40% for the safety of drivers and passengers.
This morning GABS said on social media that their service was operating at 90% capacity.
But Mbalula says GABS is back on board: “Golden Arrow will have to help the commuters left stranded by the taxis and yesterday afternoon I had a meeting with Prasa to see how many trains we can increase. We will consolidate our operational plan.”
Mbalula says their aim is to make sure of passengers safety.
“The long-term solution should assist us in providing a safe, reliable, affordable and law-abiding service for the commuters in the Cape.
“We must make sure that they are safe all the time and that nobody lives in fear, as it is now, nobody knows when the bullet can hit them as they use taxis.”
An angry Mitchell says: “The conduct of a small group of criminals is holding the residents of Cape Town hostage, and we will not stand for it.
“As government, we have tried in good faith for a number of weeks to find a solution to bring an end to the ongoing taxi violence we are experiencing in and around Cape Town.
“This is an organised crime to break down the economy, they are operating as thugs.”
He adds he published a notice in terms of Section 91 of the National Land Transport Act on 9 July, which will allow him to close routes and ranks, in consultation with SAPS.
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za