After that, one of the Rea Vaya employees went from line to line inside the station informing commuters that they should find alternatives to reach their destination and also return home in the afternoon because there is a possibility that the feeder buses will not be working in the afternoon as well.
“The Johannesburg metropolitan police department [JMPD] is still trying to speak to the taxi associations to resolve the situation and bring back the buses,” she said.
The taxi drivers, who spoke to Sowetan this morning, said they don't want those feeder buses because they come from KwaZulu-Natal and were denying them business in Gauteng where they are now operating.
The feeder buses started operating in Soweto on October 28 but were interrupted three days later due to having number plates from another province.
Afterwards, Joburg MMC for transport Kenny Kunene sat down with the taxi industry and the buses went back on the roads with metro police escort. That was because people suspected to be from the taxi industry were removing people from the buses and that they should use taxis.
Speaking to Sowetan last year as the issue escalated, secretary of the United Taxi Association Front, Thamsanqa Buthelezi, said there tensions had been caused by not being informed about the 45 buses.
“Members from different taxi associations were shocked because for the past 12 months or so these buses were not here and it was only the taxis operating. We were not informed about what was happening,” he said at the time.
Buthelezi also the buses had arrived with number plates from different provinces which he said raised concerns on whether they had permits to operate in Gauteng.
All the feeder buses were sent back to the depot this morning.
Sowetan reached out to both Kunene and Rea Vaya but they had not responded at the time of publication.
SowetanLIVE
Taxi associations in Soweto halt Rea Vaya feeder buses from operating
Image: Antonio Muchave
Patrol vehicles belonging to different taxi associations in Soweto flooded the Thokoza Park Rea Vaya station and bus stops on Thursday morning, demanding that all the 45 feeder buses that ferry commuters within the township stop operating.
This comes after two feeder bus drivers were shot dead the past week.
These are the feeder buses that were allegedly sourced from KwaZulu-Natal to operate locally.
Since the murders, the Johannesburg metro police have been escorting the drivers. This morning, the taxi drivers went to the metro police and told them that the feeder buses should park and the ones that are already out, must return to the depot.
After that, one of the Rea Vaya employees went from line to line inside the station informing commuters that they should find alternatives to reach their destination and also return home in the afternoon because there is a possibility that the feeder buses will not be working in the afternoon as well.
“The Johannesburg metropolitan police department [JMPD] is still trying to speak to the taxi associations to resolve the situation and bring back the buses,” she said.
The taxi drivers, who spoke to Sowetan this morning, said they don't want those feeder buses because they come from KwaZulu-Natal and were denying them business in Gauteng where they are now operating.
The feeder buses started operating in Soweto on October 28 but were interrupted three days later due to having number plates from another province.
Afterwards, Joburg MMC for transport Kenny Kunene sat down with the taxi industry and the buses went back on the roads with metro police escort. That was because people suspected to be from the taxi industry were removing people from the buses and that they should use taxis.
Speaking to Sowetan last year as the issue escalated, secretary of the United Taxi Association Front, Thamsanqa Buthelezi, said there tensions had been caused by not being informed about the 45 buses.
“Members from different taxi associations were shocked because for the past 12 months or so these buses were not here and it was only the taxis operating. We were not informed about what was happening,” he said at the time.
Buthelezi also the buses had arrived with number plates from different provinces which he said raised concerns on whether they had permits to operate in Gauteng.
All the feeder buses were sent back to the depot this morning.
Sowetan reached out to both Kunene and Rea Vaya but they had not responded at the time of publication.
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