Pretoria - Roads leading into the Pretoria CBD came to a complete standstill on Wednesday morning as hundreds of taxis drove at 5km/h heading to the city.
Traffic coming in from Centurion was heavily backed up from very early as taxis convened at Kloofsig, where they have offices.
At least 10 000 people are expected to gather at the Old Putco Depot in Marabastad before heading to the Department of Transport to hand over a memorandum of their grievances before proceeding to the Union Buildings where they will hand over a second memorandum.
The grievances raised by National Taxi Alliance include provisions of the National Land Transport Act, matters related to operations, the Integrated Public Transport Network or the BRT system, compensation for an operator surrendering an operating license, the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme, and the public transport subsidy.
Earlier on Wednesday commuters who rely on public transport lined the roads across Centurion, trying to hike lifts from private cars.
Metro police took over the flow of traffic along Botha Avenue, which was congested as parents, scholar transport vehicles and others with children in their cars, remained stuck on their way to school.
Pretoria - #TaxiStrike N4 West: Support from Mpumalanga province arriving into Pretoria pic.twitter.com/cXr05KxX24
— Rob Beezy (@TrafficSA) November 8, 2017
Pretoria - #TaxiStrike Taxi GO-SLOW RT @Nonz24 Heading to Pta via N14? Don’t bother. 😂 @TrafficSA pic.twitter.com/17mm1zvNKb
— Rob Beezy (@TrafficSA) November 8, 2017
Frustrated people on their way to work also sat in their vehicles along the congested Botha Avenue, until metro police officers took over, rerouting vehicles onto the one lane leading into the suburb near the Kloofsig intersection.
A convoy of taxis, moving at a snail’s pace towards town, had a police escort to ensure nothing went wrong.
And as the road entered the CBD it was clear of the normal morning vehicle bustle, with some sections completely clear of cars in anticipation of the taxis.
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The taxis, according to sources, had gathered at the Kloofsig intersection from as early as 4am, coming in from the south of Gauteng and where they mapped their route and sent marshals, in taxis out, to ensure the call to bring the city to a standstill, was adhered to.
This strike has affected a number of pupils including those writing their matric exams.
The Department of Education had advised parents to seek alternative means of transport although it would provide writing opportunities to pupils that may be affected.
Numerous pupils were seen hitchhiking in Mabopane and Soshanguve.