Codeta fights back against six-week closure of crucial taxi routes in Cape Town

The Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Association (Codeta) plans to contest the six-week closure of four disputed taxi routes in Cape Town.

This follows an urgent interdict filed by the Western Cape Government in the High Court on Thursday, which prohibits members of Codeta, the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata), and their affiliates from interfering with transport services at the Somerset West taxi rank, Somerset West Mall, and on the affected routes: Route 611 (Khayelitsha – Somerset West), Route 43 (Lwandle – Khayelitsha), Route M18 (Mfuleni – Somerset West), and Route X19 (Nomzamo – Mfuleni).

Conflict over the routes has left 10 people dead and five others wounded in five days.

Two days before the application, the associations sat in a meeting, which didn’t produce any results, and they have not met again.

The Western Cape Mobility Department filed the urgent interdict to implement measures in response to the ongoing minibus taxi-related violence, stating that the interim interdict, which takes effect immediately, is aimed at protecting commuters, operators, and members of the public from further harm.

The interdict also prohibits threats, intimidation, or interference with other minibus taxi operators or their drivers.

It also requires minibus taxi associations to follow the rules of their existing operating licences; and directs them to act immediately to stop unlawful behaviour and to report back to the court within three days of the steps which have been taken.

The order will remain in force until October 9, when the court will decide whether to make it permanent.

Mobility MEC, Isaac Sileku, said: “This court order gives us the legal authority to act decisively to protect our communities and restore stability in the affected areas. Every commuter has the right to travel without fear, and we will work closely with law enforcement agencies to ensure full compliance with the order.”

Codeta spokesperson, Makhosandile Tumana, said they are consulting with their lawyers.

“We think that the wrong practice they did with Cata - returning with our commuters to Mfuleni and Khayelitsha from Somerset, shows us that the government supports this, ignoring the permits that Mfuleni taxis have, which they have seen that they issued. We don’t have operating licences from Somerset. They need to make a ruling because this has been going on for many years, and they are the regulators in all of this.”

Meanwhile, Cata spokesperson Nkululeko Sityebi said they hope to hash out their differences.

“We have not yet thought about challenging the interdict. The government must do what it thinks is best to end the conflict.

“We failed to sit down and resolve this, and we will only challenge it after we find the resolution.

“This has happened before; the government would close the routes and then impound our cars, and then get Golden Arrow Bus Services in our routes, just like Route B97, from Bellville to Mbekweni/Paarl, and the buses are still operating there.”

Both parties stated that they are willing to attend another meeting to resolve their issues.

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Cape Argus