Commuters delayed as taxi violence closes Khayelitsha-Somerset West route

Taxi passengers from Khayelitsha are being seriously inconvenienced by the closure of the minibus route between Mfuleni, Somerset West, Nomzamo, Lwandle and Khayelitsha. The closure follows ongoing taxi violence between the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) and the Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Association (Codeta) that has claimed the lives of eight people.

The 30-day closure of the routes is being enforced under Section 91 of the National Land Transport Act, according to the Western Cape Mobility Department. “It is important to note that taxi ranks and roads will not be closed. Only the affected routes directly linked to the ongoing instability will be suspended,” said mobility MEC, Isaac Sileku.

To minimise the impact, Sileku said, Golden Arrow Bus Services (Gabs) and Metrorail will provide alternative transport options during this period.

Khayelitsha-Somerset West route

A retail worker who commutes between Khayelitsha and Somerset West, Xola Thafeni who we caught up with after he got off a bus told Elitsha that he was supposed to start his shift at 09h00 but was late because there were too few buses “I just hope they add more buses for the upcoming days,” he said, like several other commuters Elitsha spoke to.

The buses were insufficient to transport the taxi commuters affected by the 30-day closure of the Khayelitsha-Somerset route. Photo by Vincent Lali

“I was able to come to work on time because the taxi I was travelling from Khayelitsha in defied the rules,” said one worker.

Taxi operators who contravene the notice, according to the MEC, will face fines of up to R5,000 or imprisonment for up to six months.

Against this heavy-handed law enforcement, Cosatu in the Western Cape condemned the “abrupt” closure of taxi routes, and called for urgent stakeholder engagement. “This abrupt decision, taken without adequate consultation or a clear, alternative plan, will have a severe and negative impact on thousands of commuters and the working class across the province,” said the trade union federation.