FURIOUS Joburg taxi drivers and owners are threatening violence over their territory.
“Blood will be spilled if we don’t get what is rightfully ours!” said taxi drivers from Nancefield Dube West Association, known as Nanduwe.
Hundreds of taxis blocked the streets in central Joburg yesterday and brought traffic to a standstill.
A taxi driver said a rival association was forcing commuters out of their taxis.
Mhlonishwa Ngcamu, chairman of Nanduwe, said they had spoken to Gauteng Transport MEC Ismail Vadi. Ngcamu suggested cops go to taxi ranks and make sure rival taxis associations do not use their routes.
Joburg metro cop spokeswoman Edna Mamonyane confirmed the talks and said metro cops will today monitor ranks to ensure there is no violence.
Meanwhile, commuters in Atteridgeville, Tshwane were left stranded after taxi drivers barricaded a main road leading into kasi yesterday. The taximen said they are fighting against their association for not giving them driving permits, which can result in hefty fines or their vehicles being towed away.
A driver said they were unhappy with the new leadership of the Atteridgeville and Saulsville Taxi Association.
“Someone is being paid to give other people permits.
“We want the management to deal with that,” he said.
South African National Taxi Council spokesman Thabiso Molelekwa said taxi operators should send their complaints to the association’s executive committee.
