Residents in Soweto left frustrated due to shutdown of taxi ranks

Residents in Soweto have been left frustrated after the Gauteng provincial government shut down five major taxi ranks.

MEC for Roads and Transport Ismail Vadi invoked extraordinary measures in areas that have become battle grounds between taxi associations fighting over routes.

"I also take taxis at Mofolo informal taxi rank ... We have been left stranded and we are concerned about the safety of our children and the pensioners who have to travel to get medication‚" said Lindiwe Nonkolela‚ a resident of White City in Soweto.

"We are pleading with the government to do something about this matter because innocent people have lost their lives and we don't know when it will end because this is a serious matter ... our lives come first before taxis."

Matrics also suffered a major blow amid preparations for their trial examinations in September.

Thabani Masango‚ who did not know that Vadi had shut down the ranks‚ was astonished to find that there were no taxis.

He blamed taxi associations for not communicating with commuters in advance.

"The worst part about this shutdown is that we were not even informed by the taxi operators that this would happen and neither do we know what is happening.

At this point in time‚ it seems as if this will go on for a very long time because we are yet to be informed about when taxis would operate again‚" said a clearly frustrated Masango‚ who wanted to go to town.

On Tuesday‚ Vadi announced that he would shut down the affected ranks and routes in Soweto‚ which are Mofolo Kwa-Mthethwa Informal Taxi Rank‚ Makhetha Stores Informal Taxi Rank; Dube Station Taxi Rank; Makhetha Garage (Phefeni) Taxi Rank; and Uncle Tom’s Taxi Rank.

This follows a protracted route dispute between two warring associations in the township‚ namely Witwatersrand Taxi Association (WATA) and Nancefield Dube West Taxi Association (NANDUWE).

The closure took effect from Thursday until August 13.

There was a high police visibility stationed at various routes in Soweto.

One taxi was impounded and the driver was arrested earlier on Thursday morning when he was offloading passengers at the Makhetha Garage taxi rank‚ a route which Vadi said should not operate.

-TimesLIVE