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BL Premium reports that the violent protest action in Cape Town, which has seen key economic sectors and business in the city hugely affected and five people dead, has come to an end with the city agreeing to release taxis that were impounded.
The SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) released a statement on Thursday night confirming the protest had come to an end. At the heart of the week-long protest action, which saw hundreds of thousands unable to get to work, and schools and clinics closed, were the conditions around the impounding of vehicles under the City of Cape Town’s bylaws and national legislation. Mandla Hermanus, Western Cape Santaco spokesperson, indicated: “I’m pleased to announce that as part of the resolution is an agreement that the next 14 days will be utilised to work towards the release of vehicles that were wrongly impounded.” According to Santaco, taxis were impounded for seemingly minor infractions like broken lights or mirrors, while the taxi industry claimed that repeat offenders were paying far in excess of the R2,500 impound release fee and storage fees. According to MMC for safety & security, JP Smith, the city “impounded vehicles for breaching the National Land Transport Act, where drivers were unable to produce a valid operating licence, or are found to be operating contrary to the conditions of their operating licence”. However, Santaco claimed that vehicles had been impounded for reasons not provided for in the legislation and it specifically blamed Smith. Santaco had also alleged that the issuing of operating permits by the city were delayed and then taxis were impounded for not having a permit.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Katharine Child at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
- Read too, Taxi strike: Santaco calls off stayaway with immediate effect, at News24
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page