Protests are happening now on the Aston Bay Road, Jeffreys Bay. Apparently, the taxi owners and drivers are striking. One group are barricading the roads, with rocks and burning tyres. It is all about who has the right to operate in the area, and conflict between taxi associations is nothing uncommon. The dispute is for the granting of operating licenses to run the route between Port Elizabeth and Jeffreys Bay.
The Jeffreys Bay police were quick to respond, and the situation is calm for now, yet there is tension. Violence could flare up, and the police will stay close to monitor the situation.
Taxi associations have the perception that they contribute toward the economy and want to receive benefits. While it might be true that the taxis do contribute toward the public transport, there is always the risk of disruptions due to strikes and protests.
On June 10, this year there was a violent taxi protest in East London that resulted in a lot of violent incidents by taxi associations fighting over routes. The planned protest throughout the province caused schools to delay the writing of exams due to the riots. Not only does the taxi protests disrupt people wanting to get to work, it affects communities and children.
Cape Town was under a taxi protest in March this year, and there have been many others around the country. Unfortunately, there are never any peaceful strikes or protests; every riot is marked with a violent reaction from the participants and loss of property and lives.
As the entire public transport system throughout South Africa is dysfunctional and mismanaged, taxis have played a vital role in carrying communities to and from work. If you do not own a private vehicle, and forced to depend on the public transportation, it would be impossible to commute to and from work. Public Transport is a sector that the government has made absolute no progress during the 22 years of democracy.
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