A sort ofVodacom’s sales booth is booming with music every day. But on the “Taxi-Rank” in Cape Town, the most important shared taxi stop in the city, it is as quiet as a public holiday. In other places, there are more and more vehicles, preparing to leave, and a few pigeons pecking in the dust. The security guard in the red pullover was not a commuter, but walked across the square with several policemen behind. “This is a disaster,” said Philip, a street vendor from Congo, shaking his head. “Most people stay at home, and the few people who come here just want to get in the car quickly instead of shopping.”
Last week, a months-long dispute between two large taxi organizations in Cape Town escalated. A few days later, almost all local public transportation came to a standstill. This week, the shopping mall was also extremely empty, with almost no traffic on the main road, and it was difficult for employees to go to work.
But the worst is violence. Since the beginning of the year, more than 80 people have been killed in the “Taxi War”: passengers, drivers and unrelated passers-by. A bus driver was also shot dead. He has just finished his work. As a result, he obstructed rival taxi organizations. Other taxi operators also stopped their trips for fear of similar attacks.
The most important means of transportation by far
Like many African countries, minibuses (known as taxis) are by far the most important public transport in South Africa. According to a 2013 survey by the Bureau of Statistics, 70% of commuters use them. Drivers are notorious for their fast-paced driving styles, but compared to buses and trains, privately-provided means of transportation have obvious advantages: they are flexible, fast, cheap, and have extensive route networks.
However, various taxi organizations have been fighting each other for many years. It’s mainly about the distribution of lucrative routes. It is currently “B97”, a 38 km long route between the suburbs of Bellville and the wine town of Paarl. After arduous negotiations, the “peace agreement” reached in early July did not last long. When negotiations failed again last weekend, the Minister of Transportation of the Western Cape had had enough. Without further ado, he closed all controversial minibus routes for two months.
The minister wrote: “We can no longer be taken hostage by a few criminals. They continue to harm the interests of many law-abiding taxi drivers and threaten the lives and livelihoods of our residents.” Since then, the police and the military have been on alert. It is said that the area Under the surveillance of aerial helicopters.
Commuters have no choice
The crux of the problem is that for many commuters, there is no choice but a minibus. The Metrorail, a local train belonging to the dilapidated state-owned company Prasa, no longer runs on several important routes. Trains and overhead lines were repeatedly dismantled, and no investment was made for many years. The traditional Golden Arrow bus, which dates back to 1861, is no longer in its best condition due to lack of subsidies. For the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the city invested a lot of money to build a new bus network equipped with modern buses. The My-Citi route network does not extend to many large suburbs. Many passengers continue to rely on taxis for buses.
As usual, the quarrel with taxi bosses is now hitting the poor the most. Miriam runs a food stall at the minibus station. The rice and polenta were boiling in a large metal pot, and two fish sizzled in the oil in the pot. The vendor said that she usually cooks 70 kilograms of rice a day. Now, sometimes, she can’t even sell a kilogram of rice. “We can’t hold on for long.” Because despite the coronavirus pandemic and the taxi conflict, the stall rent is still due.
Many day laborers have no income for a few days, and now they have to accept detours and higher transportation costs. Restaurants and shops in the city are still closed because their employees cannot go to work. Some employers rent rooms or transport employees themselves in largely empty hotels in the area. Some nurses stayed in the hospital. This conflict once again shows that even 27 years after apartheid ended, Cape Town is still a divided city: the poor live far away, and most of their jobs are in the city.
“This dispute must eventually end,” said Silaj, the minibus driver who was waiting for passengers on the platform. He is still allowed to drive and has more passengers than usual because commuters are now turning to other minibus operators and routes. Nevertheless, he was not satisfied with it. He said that you must be more careful and attentive than before. The conflict may escalate again at any time. No solution has been found, and negotiations are continuing.
