The Standard Bank Arena in Johannesburg resembled a war zone when taxi bosses made their way to a meeting convened by Gauteng Premier David Makhura on Thursday morning.

As taxi bosses were off-loaded from their cars at the parking bay‚ heavily armed men accompanied them.

Perhaps to hide their identities most used hired and tinted vehicles with Cape Town (CA) registrations.

There were delays in allowing people to enter the venue as police officers used sniffer dogs to clear the arena.

Inside the venue there was an uneasy tension‚ with groups taking their seats.

Police units‚ which included officers from tactical response and dog units‚ conducted a thorough search at the door before allowing people inside.

Makhura had called the meeting to discuss‚ among other things‚ the issuing of replacement operating licenses‚ addressing violent conflict within the industry and promoting a road safety campaign.

Makhura was also expected to explain government’s plan to establishment a single transport authority for the Gauteng City Region‚ which seeks to address inefficiencies in the public transport system. – TMG Digital