Taxi protestors march down Bree Street

RELATED LINKS: End of road for illegal taxis AUTHORITIES have intensified their campaign against illegal taxis in Diepsloot as part of a 500-day crime blitz around Johannesburg. Read more Gloves are off as government takes on taxi operators THE fallout between the Gauteng government and the taxi industry appears set to escalate, as taxi operators threaten a national strike while the government vows to intensify its law enforcement drive. Read more Taxi operators march through city centre TAXI operators from across the province marched peacefully through the city centre on Monday, in protest against the impounding of their vehicles by provincial transport authorities. Read more Taxi groups to go on strike TAXI commuters across Gauteng could be left stranded on Monday if taxi operators go ahead with their planned one-day strike and protest march against the impounding of their vehicles by traffic authorities. Read more

Taxi protest causes city traffic jam TAXI operators took to the streets to protest against the police impounding their vehicles. May 17, 2005 By Lucky Sindane TRAFFIC came to a standstill in the city centre when a small group of taxi operators peacefully marched to the office of Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa to hand in a memorandum. Converging at Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown, the protesters then marched up Bree Street and down Simmonds Street on their way to the premier's office. The taxi operators, who were represented by an organisation called South African Problem Solving For The Poor, were protesting against the impounding of their vehicles and the taxi recapitalisation programme. "In 2000 we asked the national Department of Transport to address us about the recapitalisation programme but they did not come till today," said Mxolisi Masebeni, the spokesperson for the protesters. He also accused the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department of victimisation, adding "there are many cars which are not good but they are not impounded". Metro police spokesperson Wayne Minnaar said, "If a vehicle is not roadworthy we are going to impound it and remove the licence." When a vehicle is impounded the owner has to pay a fine of about R1 500 and repair the vehicle. It then has to have a road test before it can be used again. "How are we supposed to pay these fines of up to R2 500 or R3 000 if we are making R60 a day?" asked Masebeni. "Our organisation is for poor people and we try to help the poor. "These cars they are impounding are the very same cars which are used to transport people like Premier Shilowa to the borders and anywhere they wanted to go, but now those vehicles are being impounded," said Phumulani Buthelezi, a taxi owner. The protesters handed over a memorandum and demanded a response from the premier within seven days. Colin de Vos, a representative from the premier's office, said, "I took the memorandum to the premier and I'll make sure you get a response within seven days." Permission to use web site material Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as: Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website (www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency (www.joburg.org.za)"; If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original article on this website; The name of the article's author is acknowledged; The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill in this brief online form). Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 Print this Page E-mail this article to a friend Help using Joburg.org.za