Officials closed the Bellville and the Bloekombos taxi ranks in Kraaifontein following conflict and shootings last weekend, but they’ve since been re-opened.
Since the closure of the ranks, the Western Cape Transport Department and the City of Cape Town have facilitated several discussions with the associations.
The provincial Transport Department says it will only reopen the rank once it’s satisfied rival taxi groups have settled their dispute.
The Western Cape Transport Department says the Bellville taxi rank will remain closed until police have given the all-clear.
The City of Cape Town, South African Police Service and Metro Police have started impounding illegal taxis on the affected routes.
The Bloekombos taxi rank in Kraaifontein has also been closed due tenses ion between taxi associations.
The Western Cape Transport Department says the Bellville taxi rank will remain closed until police have given the all-clear.
On Saturday, shots were fired between two groups at the rank and on Friday three people were shot; two of them were bystanders.
Earlier on Saturday, there had been more shooting believed to be taxi-related.
An eyewitness working at the rank told Eyewitness News the driver was an illegal operator on the popular Cape Town-Bellville route.
Santaco says it’s concerned about the violence which could affect innocent commuters in Cape Town.
The message has been widely shared on WhatsApp and social media platforms, alerting commuters that the area has been declared a red zone.
According to reports, traffic officers failed to pull over a taxi driver along Voortrekker Road and gave chase, they ended up at the Bellville Taxi Rank, where a crowd stormed towards the traffic officers.
The Western Cape has seen a spike in taxi related violence in recent months.
Several people have been killed in numerous incidents of taxi violence in the Western Cape.
A taxi association says their issues are resolved and they are at peace following membership issues.
MEC Robin Carlisle believe the killing of a taxi operator is linked to tensions between rival taxi groups.
A 60-year-old man was killed in the crossfire between his colleague & another taxi operator.
