Striking taxi operators have blocked the entrance of the Noord Street Taxi rank in the Johannesburg city centre preventing non-striking operators from ferrying commuters.

This comes after Soweto-based taxi drivers embarked on a stay-away in protest against Government's roll-out of the Bus Rapid Transit system (BRT). The Gauteng Roads and Transport Department has urged Johannesburg commuters to use busses and trains. Taxi operators under the banner of the United Taxi Association Forum are protesting against the roll-out of more BRT busses from Monday.

The association's spokesperson Ralph Jones has accused the City of Joburg of impounding taxis in an effort to facilitate the implementation of the BRT busses feeder system. The forum says it will carry on striking until the city comes up with a proposal.

Taxi commuters have been left stranded in Soweto due to the stay-away. The affected areas are Soweto, the city centre-Orange Farm route and Natalspruit on the East Rand. Hundreds of school children are also not able to go to school.

Commuters stranded 

At the Natalspruit Hospital Taxi Rank in Katlehong on Gauteng's East Rand, university students and school children are among the hundreds of stranded commuters.

Hundreds of commuters are abandoning taxi ranks on Gauteng's East Rand. The commuters have been waiting for more than two hours for taxis. Most of them are now going back home as it becomes clear that the taxi operators are on strike.

Meanwhile, the Registrar for the North West Transport Department, George Mokale, has warned that taxi operators who will not apply for learners transport permits will be prosecuted. This, after 26 scholar taxi operators were arrested for transporting learners without valid permits between the Northern Cape and the North West yesterday. Scores of learners mostly from Voorstoep Primary School in Hartwater were left stranded when traffic officers impounded more than 20 taxis.