Protesting Pietermaritzburg taxi drivers unhappy over e-hailing services
The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) says unhappiness over e-hailing service is the reason behind Tuesday morning’s taxi driver protest.
The protest led to traffic gridlock in the Pietermaritzburg CBD for most of the morning.
Spokesperson for Santaco in KwaZulu-Natal, c says taxi bosses in the UMgungundlovu region wrote to the municipality last week.
"They were seeking a meeting with the municipality's officials in order for them to address issues pertinent to the e-hailing operators within the city, in terms of how could that particular mode of transport be controlled.
"It seemed as if there were not interfering with their own operation. They would come to the rank and pick up commuters and go to the extent of picking up scholars from the nearby schools.”
Shangase says they have not heard back from the municipality on the issues they raised.
"Unfortunately, now they are resorting to this, destabilised the entire city. As Santaco we were not party to the destabilisation, but the writing of the letter it is indeed our region."
