Metro police fan out amid possible taxi protest
The Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) is maintaining high visibility amid reports that metered taxi drivers will take to the streets to protest Uber taxis.
JMPD spokesperson Edna Mamonyane says if the protest goes ahead, it will be illegal.
"Yesterday the metered taxi people approached JMPD for permission to march. Permission was not granted," says Mamonyane.
Mamonyane says JMPD officers have been deployed to highways and Midrand - where a taxi strike took place a week ago.
"Metro police have been deployed on the freeways and in Midrand near Allandale where the metered taxis wanted to go to see the CEO of Gautrain," says Mamonyane.
Mamonyane says they have not encountered any protest action.
"Early this morning, top management both from the South African Police Service (SAPS) and JMPD, were in and around Sandton near the Gautrain station," says Mamonyane.
A message doing the rounds claimed that metered taxis would disrupt parts of the R21, N3 and R24.
Meanwhile, management at O. R. Tambo International Airport says they are aware of a possible protest that could disrupt access to the airport.
"The Gauteng Metered Taxi Operators Committee (GMTCO) yesterday notified management of Gautrain that it would be marching to the company's offices on Thursday morning," says the airport's Leigh Gunkel-Keuler.
"Airport management understands that the protestors will gather in the vicinity of O. R. Tambo International Airport and shopping malls on the East Rand by 9am and proceed to the Gautrain head office in Midrand. The GMTCO expects them to arrive in Midrand between 10am and 11am."
Gunkel-Keuler says passengers scheduled to depart from the airport on Thursday should make every effort to give themselves more time to get to the airport.
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