'Victimised' taxi drivers protest in PTA

"We've been using this street since the apartheid regime and have never had a problem until recently."

Pretoria - Incensed taxi drivers affiliated to Brown Street Taxi Association wreaked havoc in the Pretoria CBD on Wednesday after accusing the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) of victimising them.

The drivers allege that they have been using the infamous street as a makeshift taxi rank and have managed to rid Brown Street of drug users who had made it their trading venue, but have of late suffered a series of raids that have led to the street being barricaded.

“We have been using this street since the apartheid regime and we have never had a problem until about a month ago,” said chairman of the taxi association, Johannes Molelekana. “These metro officers just came and chased us away and forced us to use Lillian Ngoyi Street.”

Molelekana said this posed a safety concern for drivers and passengers, as Lillian Ngoyi Street experienced heavy congestion at any time of the day.

What was meant to be a march turned into a convoy of about 20 taxis that drove to the TMPD's regional offices and blocked its entrance in the hope of ending the impasse. “We have been trying to talk to the management to find out who was responsible for stopping us and nobody is taking responsibility, so we came here to tell them that we won't lie down anymore,” said Molelekane.

TMPD spokesman Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba confirmed that a meeting took place between the department and taxi drivers, and it was resolved that the taxi drivers would operate from the street on a temporary basis pending further consultation.

Pretoria News