Creamer Media Login

Vadi wants to shut down Soweto taxi routes over violence

6th March 2019

Font size: - +

The MEC for Transport in Gauteng province, Ismail Vadi, plans to close down affected public taxi ranks and routes as violence between warring associations continues unabated in Soweto.

Clashes between the Witwatersrand African Taxi Association (Wata) and Nancefield Dube West Taxi Association (Nanduwe) left three Wata members dead in January, Vadi said.

''The Gauteng provincial government will not allow a situation where alleged hitmen are hired to attack taxi leaders, commuters and taxi operators with impunity," he said.

"Members of rival associations allegedly attack one another and damage vehicles. Ordinary Soweto commuters and residents are being intimidated and harmed by this violence. We are clear that the law enforcement agencies will come down hard on those who perpetrate acts of violence in the taxi industry.''

On Tuesday, six people were shot at and 10 vehicles damaged during attacks on minibus taxis. Another attack took place last month in Diepkloof, leaving several vehicles damaged by a hail of bullets.

Vadi closed ranks and routes for one month in July 2017 and they were only re-opened after Wata and Nanduwe signed an agreement promising to desist from acts of violence and intimidation.

A notice on the planned closures will be published in the provincial government gazette. Interested persons should submit written responses or representations by March 8, said Vadi.

''Should we proceed with the intended closures, taxi services along the affected routes in Soweto will be suspended from 9 March 2019 until 8 June 2019," he said.

"No person shall be allowed to undertake passenger road transport services at the affected ranks and on the identified routes during that period.''

Edited by African News Agency

Comments

The content you are trying to access is only available to subscribers.

If you are already a subscriber, you can Login Here.

If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now, by selecting one of the below options.

For more information or assistance, please contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za.

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

Click Here

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

➕

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

➕

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION

➕