The N7-highway from Plattekloof Road to Malibongwe Drive in Dunoon in Cape Town was brought to a standstill.

On Friday, protesting taxi drivers blocked the road.

They’ve suspended operations for two days now.

The taxi associations are accusing the city of unfairly impounding their vehicles and implementing route restrictions.

So far, two trucks have been torched and one injury has been reported.

According to Dunoon Taxi Association’s Frank Qotyiwe, they will not stop until the impoundment processes are lifted or suspended.

Taxi bosses are threatening to continue with attacks until the city responds to their demands.

Source: eNCA

City of Cape Town and Western Cape officials have condemned a violent protest in Dunoon, which is said to be by disgruntled minibus taxi owners.

A truck and MyCiti bus station were set alight on Friday morning, with a large group of people stoning cars on the N7, said City traffic services spokesperson Richard Coleman.

Western Cape Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz and Cape Town Safety and Security Mayoral Committee Member JP Smith condemned the violence, injuries and damage to public and private property.

“While citizens have the right to protest and freedom of assembly, any protest action which is violent and unlawful is to be condemned in the strongest terms. I call for immediate calm and stabilisation within affected communities,” said Fritz.

The City had 71 traffic officers and 52 vehicles in the affected areas to help with traffic management and clearing of the roads, said Smith.

He said the Metro Police’s Tactical Response Team had also been deployed, along with staff from other areas, to support officers from the SAPS public order policing unit.

Smith said he hoped to be able to deploy a water cannon soon. It was undergoing repairs after electrical systems damage.

“The unrest started earlier this week – allegedly in response to an operation by our Traffic Service, around minibus taxis. Taxi drivers and owners believe that they should not be fined or arrested for offences and that the City should engage them first in discussions about these offences,” he said.

“This is a preposterous proposal. Public transport operators and owners need to realise that the law applies just as much to them as every other motorist and that they have a larger burden of responsibility than anybody else on the road. Their conduct is a disgrace.”

Dunoon Taxi Association secretary Frank Qotyiwe said they felt targeted by law enforcement in ongoing operations and decided to suspend their routes the last two days.

They wanted the city to reissue taxi operating permits for routes that were both serviced and not serviced by the MyCiti bus, based on a survey which showed there was a demand for taxi services in the area.

‘Our people are being inconvenienced’

Dunoon ward councillor Lubabalo Makeleni said he had heard the same complaints from minibus taxi owners, who were disgruntled that they had to pay big fines to release their vehicles.

“Taxi associations have allowed more people to join, which is causing a problem because they never got an opportunity to apply for operational licences. Now those new people are putting pressure on them,” he added.

He believed other associations were joining the protest.

“The momentum is growing and our people are being inconvenienced. My worry is that, if this continues through the weekend, criminals may take the opportunity to hijack the strike.

“The City of Cape Town must lend an ear and start engagements to come up with solutions,” Makeleni said.

On Thursday, people in six taxis attacked the car of two traffic officers at a busy filling station on Koeberg Road in Cape Town on Thursday.

It was the second attack by a taxi driver on traffic officers in a week, News24 reported.

Smith called for an “extended and intensive lockdown operation” around public transport in Dunoon.

“[This is to] ensure that the perpetrators understand that selfish, violent and reckless behaviour has legal consequences.”

Qotyiwe stressed that their members were not involved in any violence.

Source: News24