The SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) in the Western Cape has announced the end of its stayaway, a week after it withdrew all minibus taxis operating in the province.

The stayaway left tens of thousands of commuters, including schoolchildren, stranded.
There was also violence and damage to property. At least five people were killed.

In a statement on Thursday evening, Santaco Western Cape chair Mandal Hermanus said the end of the stayaway came after painstaking deliberations and immense pressure on all parties involved. He said as part of the resolution reached between the taxi industry and the government, there was an agreement that the next 14 days will be used to work towards the release of vehicles that were wrongly impounded.

“On behalf of Santaco Western Cape, I convey our sincerest condolences to the families of those who tragically lost their lives during the stayaway. We stand with you in this time of grief and offer our profound sympathies. We also extend our heartfelt sympathy to everyone who was negatively affected by the events of the past days,” Hermanus said.

He said Santaco was disappointed it took this long for the parties to find a resolution.

“The wellbeing of our community and the public at large has always been our priority, and it pains us to witness the unnecessary pain and suffering that transpired.”

Earlier on Thursday, Western Cape premier Alan Winde and Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, who attended a meeting held by Santaco, said they had given the taxi organisation a “reasonable offer” during the discussion.

Winde said late on Thursday night they would work with Santaco “through meaningful engagement to resolve the complex and long-standing issues that the industry faces.”

Source: TimesLIVE