[imagesource: Supplied to IOL]

Key roads in Hout Bay were blocked yesterday, leaving many stranded and unable to commute to or from work.

It’s far from the first time violent scenes related to taxis have played out in the area, and these protests have apparently been a long time coming.

According to GroundUp, Amaphela (sedan) taxi drivers in the area, and around various parts of Cape Town, have vowed to continue protesting until the City of Cape Town pays up:

According to protesters, taxi drivers under the Hout Bay Taxi Association in 2009 had signed an agreement with the City that they would be compensated as the new bus services would operate on the [Llandudno and Imizamo Yethu MyCiTi] route they use, impacting on their client numbers.

The drivers told GroundUp that they had several meetings with the City but each time were told that payment would be made by 2014 but this never happened. They then approached an attorney in 2019 who is helping them take the battle against the City to court.

The attorney acting on their behalf, Anneke Whelan, says the City has still not paid up and the figures the drivers are owed are mounting. Some drivers are claiming as much as R280 000.

A new proposed route between Hout Bay and Wynberg has further enraged drivers, as well as a crackdown by law enforcement in impounding illegally operated, unroadworthy taxis. Some taxi operators believe they have been treated unfairly and have lodged complaints over permits.

One of the main protest points was the Imizamo Yethu Circle:

Good morning from sunny Hout Bay #capetown pic.twitter.com/nGVYoCHh01

— L Franks (@cape_eye) September 5, 2022

One MyCiTi bus was petrol bombed in Imizamo Yethu.

The circle at the bottom of Suikerbossie also saw clashes between police and protesters:

In response to the violence, the City suspended the MyCiTi and Dial-a-Ride services in the interest of the safety of commuters and staff.

Here’s IOL:

The City said it noted the complaints from the Hout Bay Taxi Association (HBTA) regarding the compensation related to the roll-out of Phase 1 of the MyCiTi service and said it has been engaging with HBTA since 2014 in respect of the process and will continue to do so.

The matter is currently on the Western Cape High Court roll and the City said it is awaiting the court’s ruling.

Mayco member for urban mobility, Rob Quintas, said he planned to meet with taxi industry representatives.

This included the Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Association and Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association.

[sources:groundup&iol]