‘We slept at taxi rank’: Santaco apologises as taxi strike frustrates Ekurhuleni residents
Several taxi commuters spent the night at taxi ranks around Kempton Park after taxi operators affiliated to the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) withdrew their services.
The strike has affected thousands of commuters in different parts of Ekurhuleni, such as Germiston and Katlehong, who were on Friday morning frantically trying to get to places of work. Some residents said that from Thursday evening, there were no taxis, and the commuters spent the cold night at the taxi rank.
“We had to rely on fires, burning plastics overnight. Can you imagine how cold it was at midnight, in this open place? The government must just sort out this problem with the taxi drivers. We want to be able to travel and work for our families,” said one resident in Kempton Park.
Some commuters complained that they had to use e-hailing services like Uber and Bolt, which cost significantly more compared to taxis. Other residents said they were returning home, missing out on the workday, because of the lack of transport.
IOL also understands that the train services were overwhelmed by passengers, with some residents opting to leave the packed train stations.
Taxi association Santaco announced that it was halting its operations around Ekurhuleni in connection with the taxi operators’ unhappiness with the impounding of vehicles by law enforcement officials.
On Friday morning, Santaco in Gauteng sought to assure community members that taxi operations across the province were continuing as normal, with the exception of the Ekurhuleni Region where discussions remain ongoing.
“Services in Ekurhuleni were temporarily halted following concerns related to vehicle impoundments. We regret the inconvenience caused to commuters who were left stranded and the anxiety created among the broader public due to reports of a possible province-wide shutdown,” said Graham Fritz, Santaco Gauteng secretary.
“We wish to make it clear that there will be no province-wide protest or suspension of services in Gauteng (on Friday). Commuters across the province can continue to rely on normal taxi operations.”
Regarding Ekurhuleni, Fritz said the provincial and national leadership of the council is actively engaged in constructive dialogue aimed at resolving the outstanding matters.
“We are also in ongoing dialogue with both the Gauteng provincial government and the national transport ministry to ensure these issues are resolved speedily and amicably. We remain committed to finding a sustainable solution through negotiation,” he said.
“Santaco Gauteng once again offers its sincerest apologies to commuters and reaffirms its dedication to ensuring the smooth and reliable flow of transport across the province.”
He said an update on taxi services in the Ekurhuleni region will be communicated as soon as a decision has been reached.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
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