Traffic has also been badly affected as taxi drivers have used their
vehicles to block roads leading to Pretoria.
At the Roodepoort taxi rank commuters were standing helplessly not knowing
how they would get to work.
Right in front of them were taxis drivers sitting inside.
Mita Welcome who works as a hairdresser in Rosebank was already counting
the income loss.
“I have a client’s appointment at 9am but I can’t make it now. My daughter
called me last night but I didn’t believe her, now I’m stuck.
“I will lose a day’s pay. This is not right,” Welcome said.
Joyce Bojang was able to catch a lift from Braamfischer to Roodepoort only
to find there are no taxis at the rank.
“Our jobs are on the line. These people are really unfair. People have lost
jobs in the pandemic, we can’t risk ours now,” said an angry Bojang.
NTA is marching to Pretoria over the non-payment of the taxi industry’s
Covid-19 relief and also wants government to recognize the alliance as an
independent body that taxi associations can freely belong to.
A taxi lekgotla organized by transport minister Fikile Mbalula last month
recognized the SA National Taxi Council as the apex body of the industry.
Tshwane Metro Police had their hands full early in the morning as taxi
drivers blocked all roads leading to the capital.
“They have blocked roads in Mamelodi, Soshanguve, Garankuwa…But we have
sent officers there to attend to the situation,” said TMPD spokesperson
Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba.
