The Ministry of Transport is hopeful that ongoing engagements with the taxi industry in the Western Cape will reach an agreement by the end of the week.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport Ayanda-Allie Paine told VOC news that Transport minister Fikilie Mbalula has been hosting ongoing engagements with taxi associations CATA, CODETA and SANTACO since his arrival in the province last week.

She welcomed the willingness of the associations to come to the negotiation table, adding that they are seeking a lasting and sustainable solution. Paine further condemned the persistent violence affecting innocent by-standers and the need for commuters to reach out to national government regarding their jobs being at stake due to a lack of transport.

Meanwhile, Golden Arrow Bus services has committed to keeping commuters updated amid a very limited service today. With an average of over 250 000 daily passengers, spokesperson Bronwyn Dyke Beyer says the ongoing taxi violence has put added strain on the service.

She says while the driver who was shot through the face in Nyanga yesterday is currently stable, their staff and commuters remain fearful. She assured that weekly bus tickets will be valid for a month, while monthly tickets will be valid for three months.

“We would obviously like to be able to operate our service, we have a great responsibility to our passengers but we also have a responsibility to our drivers and they are scared. We are doing what we can, we are working with law enforcement. People are losing jobs- people need to be able to get to work without being scared,” said Dyke-Beyer. \

VOC