WATCH | Buses torched as Cape Town taxi operators go on a two-day strike

taxi strike

Cape Town – Chaos erupted in Cape Town on Monday, as taxi drivers embarked on a two-day strike across the Western Cape.

Two Golden Arrow buses and a MyCiti bus were reportedly set alight in Khayelitsha.

The City of Cape Town deployed more law enforcement and undercover law enforcement officers to monitor public transport interchanges and patrolling routes.

Unrest in the public transport sector was recorded in the Khayelitsha area, said City’s mayoral committee member for safety and security, Alderman JP Smith in a statement.

“A MyCiti bus along with two Golden Arrow buses, were set alight. A Golden Arrow bus was also hijacked but members from our undercover Law Enforcement Unit were able to intercept the identified bus and arrest the hijacker.

“Additional LEAP officers have been deployed to buses operating on transport routes, with enforcement staff monitoring public transport interchanges. The Ghost Squad, the Taxi Ghost Squad and Undercover Law Enforcement Unit are patrolling routes and shadowing buses that are operating,” said Smith.

He said that resorting to destruction, arson and the attacks of competitors along with the threat of commuter safety, made these criminal acts and must be condemned on all fronts.

South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) embarked on the strike after the Western Cape government decided to cancel its Blue Dot Taxi Project, reports News24.

According to Santaco’s Western Cape chairperson, Mandla Hermanus, its members were not happy with the provincial government and the MEC for Mobility, Daylin Mitchell’s decision in relation to the Blue Dot Taxi Project.

“As things stand, the stay-away is going ahead,” the report quoted Hermanus as saying.

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Compiled by Olwethu Mpeshe 

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