SOWETO’s taxi association, Witwatersrand African Taxi Association (Wata), has left commuters stranded and forced to look for other alternatives to get to work.
— Daily Sun (@dailysunsa) April 8, 2024
This comes after Wata decided to suspend its services to the community on Monday, 8 April.
WATA taxi association… pic.twitter.com/tfwi1EEz0C
SOWETO’s taxi association, Witwatersrand African Taxi Association (Wata), has left commuters stranded and forced to look for other alternatives to get to work.
This comes after Wata decided to suspend its services to the community on Monday, 8 April.
A commuter, Sibongile Ngema, said the suspension of Wata's services inconvenienced her as she had to use other alternatives to get to work.
"We don’t know what this fight over routed is about. They must sort their differences out because now we are suffering, she said.
Wata spokesman Hamilton Miya told Daily Sun this action is due to the alleged harassment they are receiving from their competitor.
He alleged the Nancefield Dube West Taxi Association (Nanduwe) had gone to the extent of threatening them over routes.
"They now wear balaclavas, stand on roads, and threaten our drivers to the extent of beating them up."
He said they were willing to work with the taxi association as they had the same mission.
"Our services will be suspended until Premier Panyaza Lesufi attends us. There is a court order which attributes that we shouldn’t be disturbed in our operations," Hamilton said.
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He further claimed that the government was making money out of taxi associations. This comes after the department impounded taxis belonging to Wata and Nanduwe last week.
"Our taxis were impounded. They said that we do not have permits. To our surprise, we have proof showing that those drivers have applied for permits but haven’t received those permits. When we enquire at the department, we are told that they are experiencing a backlog. How is that our problem?" Miya asked.
The Gauteng transport department spokesman Lesiba Mpya told Daily Sun the department impounded 47 taxis belonging to the two associations in a joint operation between law enforcement and the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) on Friday, 5 April.
"We impounded the vehicles on the basis of road traffic infringements, roadworthiness, and operating licences. It was generally law enforcement. It has nothing in line with the accusations that are made that they are being targeted,” Mpya said.
He said the fight between the two associations between routes has been brought to their attention.
“There’s intimidation and unrest. This poses a threat to people coming into the area. The MEC will publish extraordinary measures in the provincial gazette with an intention of suspending those operating licences. We can’t stop those fights because they are resulting in killing, intimidation, and that’s the situation we are willing to have as a government,” he said.
Nanduwe claimed the government was targeting them through the impounding of vehicles, and it was costing them because they must pay a certain amount to get the taxis back.
Miya has apologised to commuters for the inconvenience the association might have caused.
