Taxi drivers to strike in protest against e-tolling

31 January 2014 - 02:27 By KINGDOM MABUZA
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Major taxi routes in and around Johannesburg are expected to shut down on Monday as the National Taxi Alliance embarks on a protest that will leave thousands of commuters stranded.

National Taxi Alliance spokesman Theo Malele said the government's failure to issue operating licences to taxi drivers in a timely fashion rendered them prey to e-tolls .

"Sanral and the government claim that we are exempt from paying e-tolls and yet they know that almost 80% of taxis do not have operating licences."

The National Taxi Alliance is the mother body of a large number of taxi associations throughout the country.

"The government's refusal to issue operating licences means it is rendering our operations illegal on the roads," said Malele.

"From Monday, we are going to take over the highways and drive past the e-tolls without paying," he added.

He said affiliated associations from other provinces would join the protest.

But the South African National Taxi Organisation has refused to join the protest , stating that, while there are problems with permits, it believed that they would soon be resolved .

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