Uncertainty over closure of Soweto taxi routes

Gauteng Transport MEC Ismail Vadi threatened to close down the Dube and Mfolo routes following a spike in violence which saw at least three people killed.

It is understood that the violence was sparked by a disagreement over routes.

General secretary of National Taxi Alliance, Alpheus Mlalazi, has appealed to the rival taxi associations to maintain calm.

"We really pleaded with the two associations to allow the negotiation process to continue unhindered. So, by so doing, they should desist from attacking each other verbally or physically, which we are really grateful because it seems they listened because we have not seen any incidents in the past three, four days."

Mlalazi says they are looking into a possible merger of the two associations.

"What we are trying to do is... really, we have a two-point approach. First and foremost, to arrive at an interim solution whereby the two associations would agree to work together on a long term, irrespective who has the right or who doesn't have the right. And then after we are looking for a permanent solution where the two associations would agree to work together permanently or at best, merge as one taxi association because they are really working in one geographic area."

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"The roads operated by those two associations are the main roads into the CBD and of course other important places like the Baragwanath Hospital, the biggest hospital in the southern hemisphere. You can image the negative impact it would have on the commuters. We are hoping that it doesn't get to that but if it does get to that, we have no choice but to continue mediating and trying to find a speedy solution."

The National Taxi Alliance was initially set to deliver a progress report to the MEC on Friday but asked provincial authorities for more time to resolve their differences.