Minibus taxi drivers today staged a protest on all major Gauteng routes from the early hours of the morning. This created unprecedented chaos and disruption to the daily commute of all Gauteng commuters.
The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI) condemns the action of the minibus taxi drivers, as a special interest group. Notwithstanding the validity of their issues, the protest action restricted and disrupted the movement of other road users, the movements of employees, business people and the public at large. The disruption is likely to have a negative impact on the economy as employees would have been late for work, passengers missing their flights and a disruption on production schedules. Whilst we accept the right to protest as enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic, the protest action should not come at the detriment of other road users and the general public.
SACCI acknowledges the challenges faced by the minibus taxi operators and wish to encourage all parties to find ways and means that are mutually beneficial to grow the transport sector.
In this regard, the broad range of challenges faced by minibus taxi operators, be they regulations, access to routes, access to finance, training and other factors, should be critically examined to identify root causes and find long term solutions.
Contact: Mr Alan Mukoki, CEO – 082 551 1159