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Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Ismail Vadi, has brokered a peace deal between the warring Reiger Park and Vosloorus/Boksburg Taxi Associations in Ekurhuleni which in the past three years has resulted in the deaths of over 15 taxi operators, drivers and commuters.

Vadi said that he had met with the executive committees of the two associations on Tuesday this week and an agreement was reached on jointly tackling taxi violence in the Reiger Park-Vosloorus area and normalising taxi operations in both communities.

“We have reached a breakthrough agreement with the two taxi associations whose members have been at each other’s throats for some time,” said Vadi. “All parties to the conflict agree that the indiscriminate killings of taxi operators, drivers and commuters must come to an end and that the situation should be normalised as soon as possible,” he added. “This conflict is giving the taxi industry a bad name in the community. I did an inspection last week at the Vosloorus, Boksburg and Reiger Park taxi ranks and commuters are tired of the violence,” he said.

Last December Vadi threatened to close both the Reiger Park/Windmill Park and Vosloorus taxi ranks because of the growing conflict in the area. He lifted the suspension notice after hearing representations from the affected taxi associations that committed them to resolving the conflict this year. In terms of the agreement, a joint task team involving the two associations and officials from the Department of Roads and Transport and the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality has been established. It is to arrange meetings with the broader membership of the two taxi groups and to ensure that the Reiger Park Taxi Association is able to resume route operations in the community.

About 30 taxi operators from Reiger Park had suspended all operations for the past 24 months due to the killings and intimidation. The two associations are also to consider joint operations to enhance the profitability of taxi owners in future.

Issued by Gauteng Roads and Transport