CAPE TOWN - Taxi Associations have fingered the increase in companies making use of private staff transport in areas taxi operators are based, as one of the reasons contributing to ongoing extortion in the industry.
Last week Transport MEC Daylin Mitchell called an urgent meeting with the taxi industry to discuss extortion allegations, claiming his office has been inundated with complaints.
“Private companies and owners whose vehicles are being stopped by elements within the taxi industry (so-called patrollers), who impose ‘fines’ or ‘release fees’ on people when they drive in certain communities. These crimes are allegedly aligned to both Cata and Codeta.”
Mitchell called for leaders to take responsibility to ensure that their members operate within the law and in accordance with their constitution and signed code of conduct.
Cata secretary Mandla Hermanus said they condemned all acts of criminality. He said since the Covid-19 the pandemic, the industry observed a huge shift in the travelling patterns of its traditional client base which may have contributed to the problem.
“We have observed a move by many companies to provide transportation for their employees. In the past this had always been limited to people working the night shift, or those who needed to be at work in the early hours of the morning when taxis and other modes of transport were not operational or it was not safe to use public transport.
“What we are seeing now is the proliferation of staff transport at all times and these companies make services of few individuals, to the exclusion of the taxi operators who are based in those areas,” he said.
Hermanus claims this has resulted in resentment between those providing staff transport and the local taxi operators who are now watching their former customers being taken away. “The taxi industry, supported by the government, needs to engage with the business sector and find innovative ways of ensuring that it is taken onboard as the way people are transported shifts with the changing times and due to the disruption that has been brought about by the advent of e-hailing and the impact of Covid-19. This however does not justify any criminal acts by operators.”
Codeta secretary Lesley Sikuphela said: “You find that contractors or staff transport now are not operating at odd hours but also at times when taxi operators are available. Then there are e-hailing services who overstep their boundaries. For example we have an internal route from Khayelitsha Mall to the broad area but you find e-hailing drivers also operate there and transport people to the same places taxis can.”
Santaco Secretary Gershon Geyer said they were aware of the issues and are yet to have a follow up meeting.
“The allegations are serious and as Santaco we agree this behaviour is unacceptable and unlawful. People must share evidence with police who in turn must act.”
Cape Times