Ngcobo taxi drivers meet government to resolve Intercape bus dispute
On Monday afternoon, scores of taxis formed a long convoy through the town near the municipal offices. They have been striking since 18 August.
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On Monday afternoon, scores of taxis formed a long convoy through Ngcobo town near the municipal offices, where hundreds of operators are meeting several local and national government officials. Photo: Johnnie Isaac
Hundreds of Ngcobo taxi operators met several local and national government officials in the council chambers of the Dr AB Xuma Local Municipality on Monday afternoon.
Outside, scores of taxis formed a long convoy through the town near the municipal offices where the meeting was taking place.
Members of the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure and the departments of cooperative governance and traditional affairs, transport and home affairs, as well as owners of small businesses are trying to resolve a dispute over the operation of Intercape buses in Ngcobo.
Taxi operators want the bus company to be banned from picking up passengers in Ngcobo as a direct competitor to their business.
Meanwhile, residents led by the Ngcobo Yethu Civic Organisation had protested to demand that municipal manager Khathutshelo Mulaudzi be removed. He was then placed on precautionary suspension pending an investigation into allegations of mismanagement. The protesters also raised service delivery failures.
Despite the shutdown being called off, taxi operators who had joined the protests on 18 August have been refusing to pick up passengers and are barring motorists from taking passengers to town. They set up roadblocks and have been patrolling and confronting any vehicle with more than two passengers. We witnessed a car being stopped and passengers told they must get out.
Intercape has previously taken SAPS, the provincial transport department and the municipality to court over their alleged failure to stop attacks by taxi operators.
Ngcobo Yethu organiser Esethu Mntsantsa said he believed Monday’s meeting would be a step towards resolving the conflict.
GroundUp tried to get comment from the taxi operators. We were told they were in the meeting. This is a developing story and comment will be added when received.
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