“After the meeting held today between the executive of Santaco Western Cape and the provincial leadership the Santaco executive committee has elected to call off the provincial stayaway that was scheduled [for Wednesday] due to the progress made in the meeting,” said Saaiers.
The city confirmed an agreement was reached to give Mackenzie time to engage Santaco on their grievances. The city and province undertook to make a sustained effort to find peaceful and proactive ways to “address the various obstacles”.
“This will be done in the spirit of open and frank ongoing dialogue, where we as government are able to move forward in regularising the industry, and ensuring a working, integrated public transport system in Cape Town,” said the city's mayoral committee member for urban mobility, councillor Rob Quintas.
“Our people cannot afford disruptions in getting to work and putting food on their tables, and our communities cannot again be exposed to the risk of public violence,” he added.
Santaco first deputy chairperson Nceba Enge said, “We tabled our demands to the government officials and we got commitment from the new MEC to have further discussions ... Based on this commitment we have decided to call off the stayaway. We are also committed to these further engagements and we will closely monitor how things go and decide whether we still need to have the shutdown.”
Enge said discussions would continue on grievances, including the issuing of about 2,600 e-hailing operating licences on the same routes operated by minibus taxis.
“We are concerned about the upliftment of the moratorium on meter-taxi and e-hailing operating permits, which had been in place for about two years. The provincial government has decided to issue these licences without discussion with the taxi industry despite our grievances about such permits. We've argued in the past that they should not issue e-hailing licences on the same routes that minibus taxis operate on.”
Other issues include the impounding of taxis and reopening of the contentious B97 route between Mbekweni in Paarl and Bellville which was closed for about 18 months due to taxi wars.
Enge said the taxi industry remains unhappy that Golden Arrow bus service, which was authorised to provide a “replacement service” during its closure, remained operational.
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
Santaco puts the brakes on planned taxi strike in Western Cape
Image: Esa Alexander/Sunday Times
The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) has called off a planned “shutdown” on Wednesday over grievances with authorities in Cape Town, citing “progress” in talks with the provincial government.
Provincial Santaco general secretary Elryno Saaiers confirmed the U-turn in a memo to passengers and the community on Tuesday.
“We hereby notify all operators, drivers and commuters that taxi operations will continue as usual,” read the update.
The taxi body held talks with premier Alan Winde, Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and new mobility MEC Ricardo Mackenzie on Tuesday to discuss the impending “shutdown”.
Santaco had planned the taxi protest in response to “unfair impoundment of vehicles” and “unfair privileges” awarded on a route to Golden Arrow Bus Services.
The City of Cape Town adopted a hard line, warning taxi operators it would respond to any acts of public violence or intimidation on Wednesday.
Taxi industry plans Cape 'shutdown' on Wednesday over grievances
“After the meeting held today between the executive of Santaco Western Cape and the provincial leadership the Santaco executive committee has elected to call off the provincial stayaway that was scheduled [for Wednesday] due to the progress made in the meeting,” said Saaiers.
The city confirmed an agreement was reached to give Mackenzie time to engage Santaco on their grievances. The city and province undertook to make a sustained effort to find peaceful and proactive ways to “address the various obstacles”.
“This will be done in the spirit of open and frank ongoing dialogue, where we as government are able to move forward in regularising the industry, and ensuring a working, integrated public transport system in Cape Town,” said the city's mayoral committee member for urban mobility, councillor Rob Quintas.
“Our people cannot afford disruptions in getting to work and putting food on their tables, and our communities cannot again be exposed to the risk of public violence,” he added.
Santaco first deputy chairperson Nceba Enge said, “We tabled our demands to the government officials and we got commitment from the new MEC to have further discussions ... Based on this commitment we have decided to call off the stayaway. We are also committed to these further engagements and we will closely monitor how things go and decide whether we still need to have the shutdown.”
Enge said discussions would continue on grievances, including the issuing of about 2,600 e-hailing operating licences on the same routes operated by minibus taxis.
“We are concerned about the upliftment of the moratorium on meter-taxi and e-hailing operating permits, which had been in place for about two years. The provincial government has decided to issue these licences without discussion with the taxi industry despite our grievances about such permits. We've argued in the past that they should not issue e-hailing licences on the same routes that minibus taxis operate on.”
Other issues include the impounding of taxis and reopening of the contentious B97 route between Mbekweni in Paarl and Bellville which was closed for about 18 months due to taxi wars.
Enge said the taxi industry remains unhappy that Golden Arrow bus service, which was authorised to provide a “replacement service” during its closure, remained operational.
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
READ MORE:
Western Cape takes taxi owners to court over 'hijacked' school transport
Inside KZN's hitmen-for-hire industry
EDITORIAL | Time to put the brakes on taxi thuggery or next stop is a gangster state
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most read
Latest Videos