The Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Association (Codeta) has confirmed they expect a “total shutdown” of taxi operations in the entire Western Cape for two days next week.
Codeta said that all regions in the province will down tools on Monday and Tuesday.
This is in response to the City of Cape Town’s shutting down of the Blue Dot project allegedly at the end of November.
Codeta said another niggling matter was the impounding of their taxis instead of arresting drivers for breaking the law.
The organisation believe the bylaws are made to target taxis and make money out of them.
Taxi commuters, and learners, will have to find alternative means to get to their destinations for the two days.
“Yes, the strike is legal and will include all regions in the Western Cape. It will be tools down Monday and Tuesday. There would be a total shutdown in all areas not only Codeta but Cata as well,” said Andile Khanyi, Codeta spokesperson.
“The reason we are doing that the Western Cape Government had given us a Blue Dot project where they promised to expand it [after] a nine-month [period] to other areas. While we are waiting for that, we have been informed it’s coming to the end in November without any reasons other than to say there’s no money, while we know money is available,” said Khanyi.
He alleged that DBSA was willing to fund them.
Khanyi said that they suspect that the other reason was that the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) was led by “Black people not Coloureds” as the main reason government did not want to fund the taxi industry.
He said the government was making quick money through the taxi industry by impounding their taxis.
Khanyi said this shutdown will make government “take them seriously” as the taxi industry and also value the contribution they make in people’s lives.