Taxi associations have refuted claims by Western Cape Minister of Mobility Isaac Sileku that an unofficial taxi go-slow was affecting parts of Cape Town on Friday, 30 October. They described Sileku’s remarks as blatant lies.
A statement issued by Sileku’s office said he had noted reports of an unofficial taxi go-slow affecting parts of Cape Town.
Nyanga and Wynberg worst affected
“Early morning monitoring confirmed disruptions at several taxi ranks, with services either suspended or operating at reduced capacity.
The following disruptions were observed:
- Nyanga: no taxis operating,
- Mfuleni: limited taxi operations,
- Langa: limited taxi operations,
- Wynberg: no taxis operating
- and Cape Town Station Deck: limited taxi operations.
The department has received no formal communication from the taxi industry regarding the suspension or reduction of services. These disruptions come amid intensified government efforts to end taxi-related violence and protect commuters,” he said.
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The department was also considering legal options to address the conflict, while bus and train services were available to assist affected commuters.
“The department’s Mobility Information Taxi has also been deployed to assist commuters at taxi ranks, manage long queues and provide information on available transport alternatives. I reiterated that commuters must not bear the consequences of disputes within the taxi industry,” he stated.
The department continues to monitor affected areas and calls on taxi association leaders to act responsibly and work towards restoring normal operations. The safety of commuters remains government’s priority.
CATA denies taxi go-slow
Cata spokesperson Nkululeko Sityebi described Sileku’s statement as a lie and misleading.
“Sileku is lying. Our taxis are operating as usual, even though they are not all coming back. Last night (Thursday, 29 October) I was in Cape Town loading commuters until 21:00. Even today, our taxis are on the road. Yes, there are a few of them who are still not operating, but the majority of them are back,” emphasised Sityebi.
CODETA says taxis are operating normally
CODETA spokesperson Makhosandile Tumana similarly disputed Sileku’s claims, saying all the association’s taxis were back in operation.
“As Codeta, we don’t have problems. Our taxis are working as usual. However, one of our drivers was shot and killed in Mfuleni last night, Thursday, 29 October. He was working on the Mfuleni to Wynberg route,” said Tumana.
He apologised to everyone affected by the disruption and said the association was doing everything possible to resolve the situation.
