Rustenburg - Disgruntled minibus taxi drivers blocked roads again in Mahikeng on Monday, the North West transport department said.
“There were incidents where taxi drivers managed to snatch keys from a bus and used it to block a road in Mega City. In town they also snatched keys from a delivery truck and blocked another road,” said departmental spokesman Shuping Daddy Sebolecwe.
He said a high number of police and traffic officers were in the area monitoring the situation and traffic was flowing well.
On Friday, the North West capital was shut down when taxi drivers blocked major intersections while apparently protesting the introduction of the Reakgona high frequency bus service.
Taxi drivers alleged that the department had introduced the bus service without consulting them.
The high frequency bus service project is part of the Mahikeng Rebranding, Renewal and Repositioning (MRRR) program. It is also intended to reduce private car dependency and traffic congestion especially during peak hours.
The chairman of Central Region Transport Co-operative, Tseko Moribe, said the department had consulted taxi associations with regard to the introduction of Reakgona high frequency bus service.
On Sunday, Moribe said taxi owners did not support the blocking of the roads. They were expected to inform their drivers not to block the road again, he said at the time.
Transport MEC Gaoage Molapisi denied that the introduction of the Reakgona bus service would push taxis out of business. “We wish to state the propaganda that the bus fare is going to be R3.50 or R5 is ridiculous and misleading, its utter blue lies,” he said after a meeting with taxi associations on Saturday.
ANA