WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2008-10-31 Time: 13:00:07 Posted By: Jan
By Michelle Jones and Devin Hermanus
Hundreds of commuters arrived home late on Thursday night after disgruntled taxi drivers blockaded the station deck rank in the city centre for three hours in protest against allegedly corrupt security officials.
Driver leaders met Mayor Helen Zille, and agreed to meet again on Friday morning to resolve their grievances.
Spokesperson for the Surran Road Taxi Association David Jaggers said: “We’re going to sort this problem out.
The mayor knows about the problem on the station deck. on Saturday we can go back and discuss it with her.”
Jaggers said if Zille did not meet their demands they would block the deck and the freeways on Friday.
Taxi driver Mohammed Isaacs said the drivers had decided to block the deck to draw attention to the problems they were facing.
He said security guards on the deck were allowing taxis without access permits on to the deck and these taxis then used other taxi’s reserved space.
He also said lane regulators were allowing too many drivers into the lanes. They blocked the road for other drivers.
“We don’t want blockages. We want a clear way in and a clear way out. That’s the main problem.”
Cape Town Central police station spokesperson Randall Stoffels said police had been called to assist and monitor the situation.
City traffic spokesperson Merle Lourens confirmed Oswald Pirow had been blocked to all traffic. Traffic had backed up on Sir Lowry Road, she said.
Tow trucks were called to remove vehicles blocking the road, she said.
Asked about commuters who had been inconvenienced, Isaacs said: “Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do for them today. It’s a sacrifice that must be made.”
The rank was gridlocked from about 2pm with hundreds of taxis standing empty all the way up to the exit.
Scores of commuters were left stranded, looking to travel home via train or other means of transport.
Disgruntled taxi drivers refused to move saying they they were “making a stand” against the “corrupt” security officials operating the boom-gate entrance to the terminus.
The drivers allege the guards were accepting bribes, allowing access to illegal drivers. They claim these “pirates” were not affiliated to either of the two Western Cape taxi organisations, Cata and Codeta.
Police were on the scene in an effort to maintain order and crowd control.
Officers tried to calm squabbling drivers, listening to their demands of those who claimed they “spoke for everyone”.
Jomak van Schalkwyk, one of the first drivers to blockade the entrance to the terminus on Thursday afternoon, justified his actions saying it was “about time” the corruption at the rank was addressed.
“What we are doing is right; the pirates must not be allowed in and the security guards thrown out.”
Van Schalkwyk was not concerned about his passengers, saying they “must just understand”.
He said any drivers they caught trying to leave would be hauled from their vehicles and beaten.
Worried about his two children alone at home, Delft taxi commuter Patrick Coetzee said the drivers had no consideration for their passengers.
“My wife is not going to make it home in time. I need to still cook for my kids.”
His luxury BMW sandwiched between two taxis since 2:30pm, Yaghya Abderoef could only shrug his shoulders.
His comment: “These guys (taxi drivers) don’t care. What can you do?”