Cape Times E-dition

Taxi industry says sorry to commuters for violence, deaths

OKUHLE HLATI okhule.hlati@inl.co.za

THE taxi industry has apologised to commuters for the devastation it has put them through since the start of the year, and appealed to the provincial transport department to use suspended funding to compensate grieving families whose loved ones were killed in the conflict.

At least 86 people were killed since the start of the year due to taxi violence, with 26 killed in July alone.

In the latest incident over the weekend two taxi drivers were shot dead in Ceres and Khayelitsha.

The Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) and the Congress of Democratic Taxi Association (Codeta) signed a new peace deal yesterday in the presence of transport Minister Fikile Mbalula and MEC Daylin Mitchell.

The agreement, with immediate effect, includes allowing all operating licence holders for routes to and from Mbekweni, except along route B97.

“Affected municipalities will be requested to place a moratorium on the issuance of new operating licences and applications for additional authorities on all affected routes while also rationalising these services,” said Mbalula.

Cata secretary Mandla Hermanus said the association regretted that it took the time it did for the conflict to end.

“We cannot bring back the lives of the people we have lost ... or bring back the job losses due to people being stranded in their communities. We understand we can't just say ‘there is peace and people should trust us', because people have been intimidated.

“It should not end with ‘sorry'. We have to demonstrate that we are sorry. We have lost about R6 million as we have not been operating for almost three weeks but will be back today.”

Hermanus called on the provincial government to donate its suspended funding (previously received via the Blue Dot incentive programme) to families of commuters and taxi operators who were killed.

The Blue Dot fund was meant to incentivise the industry but was cut off following the violence.

Codeta secretary Lesley Sikuphela said the association understood the public has lost confidence in the industry.

“We also humbly apologise to the commuters because they are the ones who make us earn a living. As Codeta we reiterate the agreement to cease fire. As an organisation we commit to try our utmost to make the taxi industry safe again for commuters.

“As Codeta, we are also committed to the ongoing arbitration process and will be bound by its outcome and accept the direction the government has given us moving forward.”

Both associations condemned extortion allegations against their members and called for police to investigate and make arrests.

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2021-08-03T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-08-03T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://capetimes.pressreader.com/article/281505049263668

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