Owners want 500 impounded taxis released
4 February 2010, 07:57
By Caryn Dolley
Hundreds of taxi owners have demanded that Transport MEC Robin Carlisle release at least 500 of their vehicles which were impounded during police clampdowns.
But while Carlisle will not be letting all the taxis go, he will be looking at "special cases" to see if those may be released.
He and taxi industry members are expected to meet again this week.
Yesterday hundreds of taxi owners protested outside Carlisle's Dorp Street office.
Scores of armed police officers stood around the crowd while police with plastic shields stood guard at the entrance to the building.
"We're here because the Transport Department started impounding our taxis from January 7. We want the taxis back," Mvuyisi Mente, the National Taxi Association's spokesman, said.
The association estimated that 500 taxis had been impounded.
While the group toyi-toyied outside Carlisle's office, a group met him inside and handed him a memorandum of complaints compiled by the regional taxi council alliance.
The memorandum said the taxi owners wanted all their impounded vehicles to be released and the department to meet with the Justice Department to have drivers' warrants that were older than two years withdrawn.
It also said the taxi council alliance wanted a conference to be held on February 21 so a new leadership could be elected.
After yesterday's meeting Carlisle said he would consider the memorandum together with the Community Safety Department, police and the city. He said he would not release all the impounded taxis.
"There is no way I can release all impounded vehicles, particularly those that pose a danger to human lives."
Carlisle asked for a list of "special cases" of impounded taxis to be handed to him so he could determine whether they could be released.
caryn.dolley@inl.co.za
- This article was originally published on page 6 of The Cape Times on February 04, 2010
Johannesburg
