AA calls for protected transit corridors as Cape taxi violence spreads

Law enforcement and transport authorities should deploy protected transit corridors across the country, the Automobile Association of South Africa (AA) has said, as escalating taxi violence threatens economic activity and voter participation ahead of election day.

The call follows deadly clashes between the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA) and the Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations (CODETA). Disputed routes in Delft, Langa and Epping in the Cape have claimed 12 lives over the past month.

Cape Town commuters and airport disrupted

Commuters have avoided taxi ranks across Cape Town for fear of their safety, leaving workers stranded. This came days after Cape Town International Airport reported that 50% of its security staff could not report for duty, throwing flight operations into disarray.

“The right to vote means nothing if leaving your home to reach a ballot box or a workplace carries the risk of being injured,” says Bobby Ramagwede, chief executive officer of the AA. He notes that workers in the cities already spend up to 40% of their wages on transport.

AA message to minibus taxi operators

According to the association, the minibus taxi sector, which carries some 80% of South Africa’s public transport users, cannot claim to be the economic backbone while terrorising the public. It wants operators to put down their weapons, resolve disputes through negotiation and immediately stop interfering with other modes of public transport, describing the blockading of alternatives as extortion.

Enforcement measures sought by the AA

The Western Cape High Court granted an interdict on Friday to halt intimidation and blockades, but Ramagwede cautions that legal paper without visible enforcement will not protect workers. “An interdict does not stop a bullet in a rank,” he says.

His organisation is calling for high-visibility SAPS and traffic escorts along the disputed corridors in Delft, Langa and Epping throughout election week. It also wants immediate impoundment of vehicles and suspension of operating licences for any association or operator violating court interdicts, an urgent forensic audit of route allocations and operating permits in the Western Cape, and a coordinated voter transit safety plan between the Electoral Commission, SAPS and municipal transport agencies before voting stations open.

Advice for employers during taxi violence

Employers are urged to take immediate steps to insulate their workforce. The AA asks them not to penalise workers who arrive late because ranks are under fire, to stagger shift times, to establish vetted pooled transport where possible and to provide daily route briefings.

Supplied by QuickPic (AA)

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