The taxi industry is threatening a national shutdown in protest of high fuel prices, saying Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has still not responded to a letter sent to him last month.
Among others, the letter highlighted how the fuel increases have taken a toll on taxi operators.
National Taxi Alliance spokesperson Theo Malele said the alliance has been taking the heavy blows for the past few months, noting that the situation has become unbearable and resulted in the hiking taxi fares.
“The sense here from different sectors is to have a total shutdown where nothing moves. This is affecting everybody and the commuters can’t take it any longer,” said Malele.
Media reports quoted Malele a week ago as saying the taxi fares would increase by between 25% and 30%.
“The taxi industry has been impacted immensely. With the fuel prices continuously increasing, we had been trying to absorb the blow up to a point, but could no longer handle it anymore.
“As a community-based business, we have looked at the best way possible out, and that was to make an increase of between 25% and 30%,” said Malele.
He added at the time that the taxi associations would determine what margin increase they would effect in their respective operations.
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