Two taxi owners are in a critical condition in hospital after being shot this morning (Thursday) in the Westlake area of Cape Town.
Western Cape Transport and Public Works minister Donald Grant said in a statement the shootings followed complaints on Monday of illegal taxi operators infiltrating routes in Westlake area.
He said he assured the legal operators on the routes‚ members of the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA) Westlake Taxi Association‚ that action would be taken against all illegal operators who were operating without operating licences‚ as well as those operating contrary to the conditions of their operating licences and the Code of Conduct of taxi associations.
“On that same day‚ I personally inspected the area and observed first-hand that operators from the Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations (Codeta) were indeed operating on routes for which they did not have valid operating licences.”
Sixteen illegally operating minibus taxis were impounded after a Joint Operations Centre was established by the SAPS‚ Provincial Traffic‚ Metro Police and the City of Cape Town’s Traffic Services.
A meeting was called between CATA and Codeta with provincial regulatory authorities on Tuesday. “At this meeting‚ the leadership of these two associations were asked to investigate the actions of their members and were reminded of the consequences that will follow any contravention of operating licence conditions‚ or the Constitution and Code of Conduct of taxi associations.
“I was therefore bitterly disappointed to hear of the shooting of taxi owners‚ Youngman Fodo and Thembinkosi Matyolo‚ this morning.”
Apart from offering his support to the SAPS investigation to catch the gunmen‚ Grant said he had instructed transport officials to “investigate all cases where vehicles were impounded or found to be operating illegally‚ with the view of taking disciplinary action against operators and associations. Such action will include the continued impoundment of vehicles and the withdrawal of operating licences”.
He warned that should illegal operations and violent conflict continue‚ he had the legal authority to suspend operating licences or close routes.
Taxi operators wounded amid Cape route row
Two taxi owners are in a critical condition in hospital after being shot this morning (Thursday) in the Westlake area of Cape Town.
Western Cape Transport and Public Works minister Donald Grant said in a statement the shootings followed complaints on Monday of illegal taxi operators infiltrating routes in Westlake area.
He said he assured the legal operators on the routes‚ members of the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA) Westlake Taxi Association‚ that action would be taken against all illegal operators who were operating without operating licences‚ as well as those operating contrary to the conditions of their operating licences and the Code of Conduct of taxi associations.
“On that same day‚ I personally inspected the area and observed first-hand that operators from the Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations (Codeta) were indeed operating on routes for which they did not have valid operating licences.”
Sixteen illegally operating minibus taxis were impounded after a Joint Operations Centre was established by the SAPS‚ Provincial Traffic‚ Metro Police and the City of Cape Town’s Traffic Services.
A meeting was called between CATA and Codeta with provincial regulatory authorities on Tuesday. “At this meeting‚ the leadership of these two associations were asked to investigate the actions of their members and were reminded of the consequences that will follow any contravention of operating licence conditions‚ or the Constitution and Code of Conduct of taxi associations.
“I was therefore bitterly disappointed to hear of the shooting of taxi owners‚ Youngman Fodo and Thembinkosi Matyolo‚ this morning.”
Apart from offering his support to the SAPS investigation to catch the gunmen‚ Grant said he had instructed transport officials to “investigate all cases where vehicles were impounded or found to be operating illegally‚ with the view of taking disciplinary action against operators and associations. Such action will include the continued impoundment of vehicles and the withdrawal of operating licences”.
He warned that should illegal operations and violent conflict continue‚ he had the legal authority to suspend operating licences or close routes.
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