Police in the Western Cape have warned of tough action against those who may be planning to cause violence and disruption during the taxi strike on Monday and Tuesday.
The police say that they will not allow disruptions in the work of other transport operators and motorists, which may affect the lives of passengers.
Spokesman Novela Patelva says multiple law enforcement units will be deployed to potential hotspots.
The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) is planning a two-day visit to the province.
The walkout is in protest of the provincial government’s announcement that the Blue Dot taxi pilot program will cease operations at the end of this month. Taxi drivers are outraged by what they say are regular confiscations of their cars
Violence and arson against other forms of public transport and passengers have previously been marked by taxi protests.
Unsatisfied passengers
Meanwhile, commuters in Cape Town are not happy with the taxi industry’s decision to shut down.
One passenger expressed concern about the planned strike: “No work, no pay, so even now I don’t think of going home, I just have to book a place, which is much cheaper for me than going back and not knowing how to travel back. Trains and buses are expensive, so we have to walk or bike. This will affect all of us in Cape Town because the people who work hard are the ones who lose out.”
In the report below, Santaka in the Western Cape launched a taxi strike:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq3cNyCOTVk
-Additional reporting by Tanya Krause
