MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Leaders of the taxi associations in Mossel Bay say they were not informed of the planned disruptions that started on Friday, 26 February, during which protests by taxi drivers on Louis Fourie road turned violent.
On Tuesday, 2 March, law enforcement officers and the chairmen of taxi associations met municipality representatives and police leaders to discuss the events.
This followed a halt on all taxi operations in Mossel Bay on Monday, 1 March, leaving schoolchildren, employees and residents stranded.
The chairmen of Uncedo, Santagu, and Mobta, the local taxi associations, apologised to Mossel Bay residents for the taxi drivers' disruptive behaviour.
Municipal spokesperson, Nickey le Roux says the chairmen gave the undertaking that no further disruptions by the taxi drivers would follow.
"It appears that the taxi drivers' unhappiness stemmed from operations by the taxi task force of the Provincial Traffic Department that happened to be in Mossel Bay and who launched local enforcement actions seemingly without due consideration of the local circumstances and existing agreements," she says. The task force seems not to have understood that the road transport permits locally issued to the taxis allow them to operate in areas such as Reebok and Friemersheim.
The head of Mossel Bay Municipality's Community Safety Directorate, Colin Puren, says the municipality has a tremendous appreciation for the important economic contribution by the taxi industry, especially with the transport of employees.
Related article: Issues resolved
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