Cape Town – Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS) has appealed for Santaco to assure safety on its business as taxi operators were set to embark on a shutdown on Wednesday.
GABS said this has historically come under attack whenever taxi operators or associations have held strikes or shutdowns and once services resume the attacks are forgotten until another strike or shutdown is announced at which time the same awful process is repeated.
In a statement the bus service company said that It cannot be a coincidence that their employees, passengers and assets are targeted every time that the taxi industry undertakes this type of stayaway.
"Human beings cannot be treated as collateral damage, and we do not accept the preposterous suggestion that previous attacks are coincidental or unrelated. It is not good enough to simply say that violence and damage to property is not condoned.
"We therefore call on Santaco to take the necessary action to ensure that other operators and commuters are not adversely affected as a result of their withholding of services," the bus service said.
The company also said that It is untenable to expect Cape Town’s commuters to be trapped at home as a result of such shutdowns, particularly with jobs so scarce and scholars having lost so much teaching time during the pandemic.
"Freedom of movement is constitutionally enshrined, and we call on the authorities to protect this right accordingly," the bus service said.
Golden Arrow further maintained that it is contracted to the provincial Department of Transport and was obligated to operate “as per our timetables”.
"We take this duty very seriously and will be operating on Wednesday. We cannot allow ourselves to be bullied in this way in what seems to be becoming a more and more frequent occurrence,"
"We will take whatever legal action is necessary to protect our rights and the rights of our passengers," GABS added.
They also disregarded the spreading reports from the taxi operators saying the company has been using the B97 Paarl to Bellville route.
It says that they have operated on that route temporarily as of July 2021 at the behest of the MEC for Transport and Public Works until such a time as a resolution was reached between the taxi associations servicing the route.
"We ceased selling multi-journey products in the weeks leading up to the service cancellation which officially took place on December 23, 2022."
"Whilst we no longer operate the B97 route, we do operate a separate Wellington to City service which we introduced in December 2020, for which we have all the requisite permissions and operating permits. We will not cease operating on this route as a result of bullying and false information," GABS added.
It also said that it remained committed to offering Capetonians safe and reliable services.
"Passengers have a right to choose their preferred mode of transport and to do so without fear of recrimination.“
Meanwhile, the Western Cape government has also confirmed that Premier Alan Winde will attend a meeting called by newly sworn-in Western Cape Minister of Mobility Ricardo Mackenzie, with leaders from minibus taxi association Santaco to prevent a “stayaway” this week in the province.
Mackenzie said shortly after he was sworn in, he reached out to Santaco to arrange a meeting to discuss the issues and reach an amicable agreement.
"I will listen to Santaco’s grievances," Mackenzie said.
Winde said that the council was within its rights to protest over its grievances, but we will not accept any violence, intimidation, or destruction of property that has unfortunately come to be associated with stayaways such as these.
"I am also deeply concerned about commuters across the province, who will not be able to go to work or school on Wednesday if this action goes ahead. I appeal to Santaco’s leadership to instead engage with us to try to find common ground.” Winde said.
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