Scores of taxi drivers around Mankweng and Polokwane in Limpopo are blockading R71 road demanding promotion from their respective employers.
About 200 drivers belonging to Mankweng and Polokwane Taxi Association left commuters stranded today after their meeting with taxi owners reached a deadlock on Wednesday night.
The drivers demand that the that 30 of them be allowed to own and operate their own taxis in the Mankweng Polokwane route this year.
Samson Mogale,56, says he started driving taxis under the association 25-years ago.
"All I want is to be promoted and given a route to operate. I cant be a driver forever I'm too old now. For all my years working as a driver I have been earning between R1 500 and R5 000 while the same taxi is generating R25 000 a month," he says
Mogale who is from Nobody outside Polokwane says the association adopted a policy ten years ago that every year they would promote ten drivers who spent more than five years working for the same owner.
The association was not immediately avalable for comment.
Commuters around Makweng, Mothiba, Nobody and Polokwane were forced to alight taxs affiliated to the association.
The concerned drivers spokesman Moloko Sekwala, 32, says they have engaging in several meetings with the taxi owners but they are not willing to accede to their demands.
"They told us that they can only promote ten drivers this year out of the 30 we demand. We are saying we need 30 drivers promoted because for the past ten years no one has been promoted," he says.
Sekwala says then from next year the demand the association to promote four drivers per year.
He says they will continue to disrupt all the taxis belonging from the association from ferrying commuters untill the owners listen.
Police say they are monitoring the situation and no incident was reported.
Another driver Peter Maenetja, 58, says he works hard and has made many taxi owners settle their debt but he has nothing to show off.
" Taxi owners give us a new minibus taxi to work and we know that after five years is paid up. The same owner will go buy another minibus and you work again untill is paid up. There are no benefits,"he says.
Commuters left stranded as taxi drivers demand promotion from bosses
Scores of taxi drivers around Mankweng and Polokwane in Limpopo are blockading R71 road demanding promotion from their respective employers.
About 200 drivers belonging to Mankweng and Polokwane Taxi Association left commuters stranded today after their meeting with taxi owners reached a deadlock on Wednesday night.
The drivers demand that the that 30 of them be allowed to own and operate their own taxis in the Mankweng Polokwane route this year.
Samson Mogale,56, says he started driving taxis under the association 25-years ago.
"All I want is to be promoted and given a route to operate. I cant be a driver forever I'm too old now. For all my years working as a driver I have been earning between R1 500 and R5 000 while the same taxi is generating R25 000 a month," he says
Mogale who is from Nobody outside Polokwane says the association adopted a policy ten years ago that every year they would promote ten drivers who spent more than five years working for the same owner.
The association was not immediately avalable for comment.
Commuters around Makweng, Mothiba, Nobody and Polokwane were forced to alight taxs affiliated to the association.
The concerned drivers spokesman Moloko Sekwala, 32, says they have engaging in several meetings with the taxi owners but they are not willing to accede to their demands.
"They told us that they can only promote ten drivers this year out of the 30 we demand. We are saying we need 30 drivers promoted because for the past ten years no one has been promoted," he says.
Sekwala says then from next year the demand the association to promote four drivers per year.
He says they will continue to disrupt all the taxis belonging from the association from ferrying commuters untill the owners listen.
Police say they are monitoring the situation and no incident was reported.
Another driver Peter Maenetja, 58, says he works hard and has made many taxi owners settle their debt but he has nothing to show off.
" Taxi owners give us a new minibus taxi to work and we know that after five years is paid up. The same owner will go buy another minibus and you work again untill is paid up. There are no benefits,"he says.
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