An apparent feud over territory between local bus services and taxi owners left commuters from around the Tshitale area stranded on Monday (31st).
Protesting drivers from the Tshitale Taxi Association blocked the entrance road to the area and to local shops to prevent Phadziri buses from operating. Commuters, who have become collateral damage in this dispute, were allegedly forced to walk great distances to catch alternative transportation to get to work or run their errands.
The public relations officer of the Tshitale Taxi Association, Mr David Mulaudzi, said that the association was concerned about the fact that Phadziri Bus Services was starting to operate like taxis. According to him, these buses do not stick to the authorised time frames that they are supposed to operate in but ferry commuters around any time of the day.
Mulaudzi said that they had met with Phadziri's management last year and agreed that they (Phadziri) would not operate in that area. "For the past 15 years, Do Light Transport used to operate in this area. Now Phadziri Bus Services came back without our consent," he said. He apologised to commuters for what happened and said they would resolve the problem with the bus companies.
Mr Left Mambirisa from Phadziri Bus Services denied any agreement between Phadziri and the Tshitale Taxi Association that they (Phadziri) would not operate in that area. Mambirisa said they were "sick and tired" of the taxi association's intimidation tactics. "We are not operating illegally; we were granted permits to operate from Louis Trichardt Mulima to Soekmekaar at scheduled times," he said.
A commuter from the area, Ms Maria Mudzielwana, said that most of them preferred buses over taxis as buses were a safer means of public transportation. "What the industry doesn't realise, is that these fights affect us more than it affects the taxi operators. We are caught in the middle of a conflict that has nothing to do with us," she said.
This is the second incident the past month where tension flared up between taxi associations and bus operators. Last week, Limpopo Mirror reported on the road blockage on the Witvlag road when members of the Dzanani II association allegedly stopped buses from using certain routes. Taxi operators apparently needed to increase fares, but this did not go down well with passengers.
The spokesperson for the Department of Transport and Community Safety, Mr Mike Maringa, said on Wednesday that the department was aware of the tension on the Dzanani routes. Official from the department were sent to try and resolve the dispute in the area. The taxi and bus operators apparently reached an agreement, and the conflict was resolved.
Maringa said that no-one was allowed to close off roads. The department is also monitoring the permits for both taxis and buses. He advised all stake holders to involve the department first when any concerns arise.
As far as the conflict between the Tshitale Taxi Association and the Phadziri bus company is concerned, Maringa said that they were yet to receive a report on this. They will investigate and engage with the Makhado Municipality.
The police spokesperson, Brig Motlafela Mojapelo said that the police were monitoring the situation. He also said that no-one was allowed to simply close off a public road.