#TaxiStrike: violence erupts across Cape Town as taxi operators strike

taxi strike cape town flickr

Update: The taxi strike has reportedly been suspended.

Original article: #TaxiStrike has usurped #MondayMotivation as today’s the top trending hashtag as taxi violence erupted across the Cape Town metropole.

Taxi operators are reportedly requesting assistance from the Western Cape MEC of transport to address the recent increase in impounded taxis and the region’s taxi associations’ leadership structures.

MUST READ: Cape Town Taxi Strike: get realtime traffic data with this nifty map

News of the strike first surfaced on Sunday, but the hashtag #TaxiStrike began trending across Twitter early Monday as it turned violent.

A number of Golden Arrow buses were attacked by strike participants, with at least one bus set alight in Delft South.

Passengers on buses have also been injured, reported Quinton Mtyala.

Areas affected by the strike include suburbs as far west as Westlake and as far east as Joostenberg, heading into Stellenbosch.

The southern suburbs’ economic hub of Wynberg has also been affected.

Cape Town arterial routes — the N2 and N7 — were also the scenes of violence. A MyCiti bus was reportedly set alight on the N2.

Key MyCiti bus routes, as a result, have also been suspended.

Cape Town’s Metrorail train service currently remains unaffected by the strike.

A number of key political figures, including Cape town Mayor Patricia de Lille and South Africa’s police minister Fikile Mbalula have yet to issue a statement.

The is a developing story…

Feature image: adamina via Flickr (CC BY 2.0, resized)

Andy Walker, former editor
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