Thousands of commuters in George in the Southern Cape are stranded on Tuesday morning due to taxi operators withholding their services.
The Uncedo Taxi Association recalled all its taxis on Monday, alleging ill-treatment from members of the so-called Ghost Squad attached to the Provincial Traffic Department.
Some commuters catching lifts from passing motorists #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/KH05uzlzhC
— Sphiwe Hobasi (@MrCow_man) August 13, 2018
They claim their taxis are always impounded due to invalid permits that are not renewed by traffic authorities. The action by taxi operators has now led to the suspension of the Go George bus service until further notice.
The company says the decision was taken following alleged intimidation of bus drivers and commuters on Monday.
#GoGeorge Manager, James Robb says "the safety of all our customers and staff is of utmost importance and having assessed all the risks, we feel that this is the best decision given previous violent actions by disgruntled individuals." (File Pic) #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/QSogQCN6Gl
— Sphiwe Hobasi (@MrCow_man) August 13, 2018
Commuters have no alternative public transport and are forced to either catch lifts from motorists or walk to their destinations.
Taxi owners say they will only resume operations once they’ve received a satisfactory answer from the municipality regarding their grievances.
