SANTACO dismisses fears of province-wide protest after Ekurhuleni strike sparks concerns of shutdown

JOHANNESBURG - The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) has dismissed fears of a province-wide strike after Thursday’s halting of services in Ekurhuleni sparked concerns of a Gauteng shutdown.

SANTACO said operations across the province were running as normal, with only parts of Ekurhuleni temporarily affected by ongoing disputes over the impoundment of taxis.

The body said it was engaged in talks with government to find lasting solutions and apologised to commuters who were left stranded on Thursday.

SANTACO’s leadership said claims of a wider taxi shutdown were misinformation, insisting no protest action was planned for Friday or the days ahead.

The body confirmed that negotiations were underway with the transport ministry and the Gauteng provincial government over the targeting of 10-seater vehicles, commonly called "baby buses".

"We wish to make it clear that there will be no province-wide shutdown, protests, or suspension of services in Gauteng. Commuters in the province can continue to rely on normal taxi operations," said SANTACO Gauteng secretary, Graham Fritz.

Officials said they wanted a sustainable agreement that ended the impasse without further harm to commuters.

SANTACO said an update on Ekurhuleni operations would be issued once talks reached a resolution.