Gauteng taxis set to stage shutdown
The taxi industry in Gauteng says it will go ahead with its planned shutdown after Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula rejected calls to increase the industry’s R1.1 billion Covid-19 relief package.
The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) in the province will stage a one-day shutdown in a bid to pressure government into digging deeper into its coffers.
Mbalula met with the various provincial transport MECs on Sunday, pleading for taxis to call off the shutdown.
But Santaco’s provincial spokesperson Midday Mali says they won’t back down.
“The announcement by the minister, I take it as nothing new that he has brought into the statement. It’s still the old address that he has put.
“The stance that we are taking as a province in terms of the shutdown tomorrow, we continue with it.”
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Mbalula rejects calls for bigger relief package as taxi strike looms
On Friday, Mbalula announced that the once-off payment comes with stringent conditions that will force taxi operators to register as business entities. But the taxi industry rejected Mbalula's offer, pressuring the minister to add a substantial amount and threatening a shutdown in Gauteng on Monday.
Mali says taxi operators are unhappy with the government’s attitude towards the industry.
“We are starting to lose our vehicles with the banks that are repossessing. You can even think that the bank is not considering us in a fair way.
“Just tell me, if you are given R3000 as a taxi operator what are you going to be negotiating with the bank with R3000 for the past three months?”
Mali adds the shutdown will not affect other provinces.
“We have spoken to our people that it should be a peaceful shutdown.”