The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) in the Western Cape has dismissed claims of an unofficial taxi go-slow in Cape Town.
On Friday, the Western Cape Mobility Department alleged a go-slow after it found limited to no taxi operations at several Cape Town ranks during early morning monitoring.
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The department dispatched teams to various taxi ranks to assist commuters facing long queues and provide information on alternative travel options.
SANTACO, however, said all information relating to taxi operations and service disruptions should first be verified through its office or official hotline before being communicated to the public.
SANTACO’s Makhosandile Tumana said, “It is concerning that statements are being released without prior verification with SANTACO Western Cape. So, we are begging to everyone who issued a statement must try to communicate with us before any information going out there.”
The recent wave of clashes between rival taxi associations, the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA) and the Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Association (CODETA), has claimed about a dozen lives in a dispute believed to centre on a route linking Delft, Langa and Epping.
The violence also disrupted operations at Cape Town International Airport, where at least 60 mainly domestic flights were delayed by up to an hour, although no cancellations were reported.
Tumana said unverified statements about taxi operations could create unnecessary panic and confusion among commuters.
“We respectfully remind the premier and all government stakeholders of the media statement issued by SANTACO yesterday which clearly requested that all information relating to taxi operations services disruption and industry developments be verified directly with the SANTACO Western Cape general secretary or through the official SANTACO hotline.”
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Camray Clarke
www.ewn.co.za