Three commuters refused to disembark a minibus taxi in Capricorn and proceeded to hijack the vehicle, Western Cape police said on Thursday.

The 40-year-old driver had stopped on Prince George Drive on Wednesday night when the men pulled out knives and took his cash and cellphone, police spokesperson FC van Wyk said.

“The suspects pushed him into the passenger seat and drove the taxi towards Retreat Taxi Rank, where the driver was ordered to get out.”

The taxi was set alight and abandoned on the corner of Trevor Siljeur and Dassie roads.

Van Wyk said no one had been arrested, but they were investigating.

“[The driver] is okay,” Retreat Taxi Association chairperson Basil Nagel said.

He believed the hijacking was related to the impounding of taxis belonging to unauthorised operators infringing on the route.

“We have just come out of an internal meeting now to discuss what we will be doing and to address these concerns.”

On Wednesday, around 200 people blocked the road with burning tyres in Vrygrond, protesting over the impoundment and the non-issuing of taxi permits. A 42-year-old was arrested for public violence.

Officers were monitoring the scene on Thursday.

On Thursday morning, a taxi driver and his son were killed in Seawinds near Retreat.

Van Wyk said the 59-year-old man and his 20-year-old assistant were shot and killed at the corner of St Patrick and St Stevens roads at 05:30.

“The circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated.”

Nagel said the driver, from Steenberg, had been collecting passengers when the shots were fired. News24