Taxi wars hit near Bryanston High

Tensions are apparently mounting near Bryanston High according to reports on Twitter.

According to Radio 702, a taxi driver was hit with knobkieries, shot and then dragged for a few metres by a car near Hyde Park Corner yesterday.

Reports of taxi violence taking place on William Nicol Drive towards the Hyde Park area leaves one dead pic.twitter.com/RMnltZjKnN

— PigSpotter Cliff (@PigSpotter) February 25, 2015

"At this stage, we're having a lot of issues with taxis - even in the Booysens area in the Soweto motorway - because Rea Vaya is not working right now, they want to take over the Rea Vaya lanes and we can't allow that, asking them 'What if Rea Vaya returns tomorrow morning?' They would then use their lanes again and they (the taxi industry) would say we (as JMPD) gave them permission to use it," MPD Spokesperson Supt. Edna Mamonyane told the radio station.

The 702 report claims that the trouble started near the Bryanston shopping Centre.

“I saw a male running along the road, into oncoming traffic, he got hit by a taxi from the one side of the road and he flew to the other. I saw a bit of his leg bend the other way, there was blood splattered across both sides of the road,” Michael Kesse who was a witness at the scene told the Rosebank Killarney Gazette.

“The taxi driver who stabbed the man tried to run away, and was run over by another taxi and died on the scene,” a witness who wished to remain anonymous told the paper.

 “We are fighting for taxi routes to Bryanston,” one of the taxi drivers on the scene told the paper.

According to Twitter reports, the turf war is continued today.

#ATT Taxi turf wars happening on William Nicol Drive near Bryanston High. Guys walking with sticks and rocks across the roads.

— PigSpotter Cliff (@PigSpotter) February 26, 2015

EWN also tweeted one of its users spotted a taxi driver carrying a wheel spanner and looking unfriendly.

Bryanston - William Nicol RT @Mike__Elliott: spotted taxi driver with a wheel spanner in hand. Unsure of intention but didn't look good.

— EWN Traffic (@EWNTraffic) February 26, 2015

According to Bryanston High's Facebook page "We are aware of the stories and rumours relating to taxi incidents along William Nicol Drive (including close to the Bryanston Shopping Centre). All necessary precautions are being taken to ensure the continued safety of our Learners and Staff."

EWN reports that calm has been restored, and that the taxi drivers are now meeting under a nearby tree to discuss routes.

According to that report, "An employee affiliated to the Alexandra Taxi Association says drivers from Diepsloot recently changed their routes, collecting customers from outside the Bryanston Shopping Centre."