'Cops must protect Rea Vaya from taximen' - Kenny Kunene

Joburg transport MMC Kenny Kunene hascondemned the taxi associations inSoweto for preventing Rea Vaya feederbuses from operating.

According to Kunene, Rea Vaya had attained a court order to continue operating after issues with taxi drivers over feeder buses to operate in Soweto.

“From where I'm sitting, the feeder buses are supposed to be on the road. I disagree with the suspension of the feeder buses. They shouldn't be suspended,” he said.

Two weeks ago, two feeder bus drivers were shot and killed and a decision was made that Johannesburg metro police officers escort the drivers.

Then yesterday morning, patrol vehicles belonging to different taxi associations in Soweto flooded the Thokoza Park Rea Vaya station and bus stops demanding that all the 45 feeder buses that ferry commuters within the township stop operating.

They 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.

Kunene said they had not expected that at all.

“We were also caught by surprise as to why that happened. The business rescue practitioner has a court order that they [taxi associations]must not prevent them [Rea Vaya] fromoperating. So them doing that, it meansthey are going against the court order.” ,” said Kunene. 

Rea Vaya released a statement on social media advising its passengers that feeder buses in Soweto have been temporarily suspended due to safety and security concerns.

“The city is engaging with the bus operating companies to establish and resolve these safety concerns for the services to resume.

“We will provide feedback and updates to passengers and residents regularly,” said Rea Vaya.

The taxi drivers, who spoke to Sowetan on Thursday, 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.

However, Kunene said they sourced the buses from KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and the Free State. 

“The feeder buses have been there, we are just replacing damaged buses. Business rescue asked for a company that would assist it with leasing the buses and it is not their [taxi associations] business where these buses come from,” said Kunene. 

Kunene said the metro police should deal with the situation.

“They are the government and they must take charge,” he said.

The feeder buses started operating in Soweto on October 28 but were interrupted three days later.

Afterwards Kunene sat down with the taxi industry and the buses went back on the roads with a metro police escort.