The National Taxi Alliance (NTA) says it developed some of the routes in Ekurhuleni and therefore the taxi industry is entitled to 30% of the contract to be awarded to the contracted bus company.
NTA says the 30% will be to compensate the taxi industry for the development and the losses it will incur.
Scores of residents on Gauteng’s East Rand were left stranded on Thursday, due to a taxi strike over a contract awarded to a private bus company to transport local communities.
The bus company is expected to operate along the same routes operated by taxis.
National Taxi Alliance spokesperson, Theo Malele says, “Taxi Industry has nurtured throughout the years … the unfortunate part is that the bus operations were allowed to operate along the same route this taxi industry is utilising. There was no proper communication which is why this whole thing blew out of proportion.”
Two killed not related to taxi strike
Meanwhile, the Taxi Alliance says the killing of two people in Ekurhuleni yesterday is not related to the taxi strike.
It was reported that two people were shot and killed in relation to taxi violence after operators embarked on a strike over a contract awarded to a private bus company to transport local communities.
Malele says taxi services are now fully operational.
“The talks will still continue and the operations will resume. We also need to correct something that relates to the deaths of two people being as a result of the current shutdown in Ekurhuleni. That is not the case. We are told that it is definitely not related. It’s something separate from what was happening in Ekurhuleni,” adds Malele.
Below is the full interview
