Taxi summit called off early

By Sasha Forbes
28 November 2008

Yesterday the summit aimed at relieving the tension around the city’s billion-rand Bus Rapid Transit system had to be called off ahead of time after alleged taxi operators forced their way into the Ratanga Junction venue.

Mayoral Committee Member for transport, roads and stormwater, Elizabeth Thompson says the city of Cape Town yesterday arranged a meeting with all the association members. “We expected about three-hundred representatives and people did come in numbers, unfortunately there was an element of people who were not invited and I speak under correction but I was told that it was the taxi drivers.”

During the commotion the managerial staff asked the members to leave, “There were two reasons why we had to call the meeting off, firstly the drivers wanted us to listen to their grievances and that was not part of the structure put in place for yesterday and secondly the management of Ratanga Junction felt that their safety was put in jeopardy.