Mamelodi - Thousands of commuters in Mamelodi have once again been left stranded, this time as a result of a stay-away by taxi operators.
Most commuters have resorted to returning home instead of going to work.
This root of the dispute is more than 50 taxis that were impounded when government implemented Operation Fiela in the township following the violence which erupted last week.
Mamelodi Transport Solution coordinator Boni Nzishe said: “We sat down with the government and the executive mayor of Tshwane on Monday and agreed we will not be interrupting the operations of the buses anymore for the three months of initial contract with new service provider Autopax. However, our taxis that were impounded have still not been returned,” he said.
He said taxis with permits were illegitimately impounded. “When they give us tickets, they write 'taxi conflict' on them and it doesn't make sense,” he said.
“WE WON’T BE HELD TO RANSOM”
The Premier of Gauteng David Makhura said over the weekend that the government and people of Mamelodi would not be held to ransom by unruly taxi drivers.
Passenger, Kamokgeli Mohapi, 45, said they were not informed about the stay away.
“First the taxi drivers stopped the buses from working last week, now they have stopped working. They can't do this,” she said.
Mohapi said she sympathised with taxi operators as this was a bread and butter situation affecting them and commuters.
“At the end of the day, they too have to pay for their taxis while we have to work to earn an income for our families,” Mohapi said.
Operators said the stay away would last for as long as their taxis have not been returned.
“If we don't get our taxis back, then taxis won't be operating in the whole of Gauteng tomorrow, and if the government still doesn't listen, it will get to national,” Nzishe said.
Pretoria News