Cape Town – Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga has urged the City of Cape Town to release impounded taxis immediately and without conditions, as part of government interventions in a taxi strike called by Santaco in the Western Cape.
The minister briefed the media in Midrand on Tuesday as she addressed concerns over the city’s amended traffic bylaws, which the taxi industry has reservations about.
Chikunga emphasised the importance of adhering to national laws and urged the city to return to negotiations to find a resolution.
“We have national laws in place that govern the infringements and penalties dealt with in the contested conditions of operating licences. The national laws are in place to ensure that fair rules are applicable to all citizens irrespective of the city or province they reside in. It can never be that a city will define itself outside the parameters of national laws and implement penalties that are out of sync with these laws.
“To this end, we call on the city to return to the negotiating table to address the areas of disagreement and demonstrate a genuine effort to find a lasting resolution to the current challenges,” the minister said.
She said that efforts to regulate the taxi industry should respect the law and the rights of others.
Chikunga also condemned the violence and disruptions caused during the strike and called on the taxi industry to denounce any form of violence or intimidation.
“We condemn the violence that has characterised this strike in the strongest possible terms.
“It can never be acceptable for those who are aggrieved by the actions of the city to blockade roads and undermine the rights of ordinary citizens to travel or access schools, places of work and economic activity.”
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
