Qumbu, Tsolo brought to standstill by taxi shutdown

Tension boiled over in the Elundini area on Thursday as taxi operators in Qumbu and Tsolo shut down the towns in protest against what they call unfair competition from long-distance buses.

Speaking on behalf of the industry, Enye Maphathwana said about 14 bus companies are now operating in the area and picking up passengers, a move he claims has badly affected taxis that service long-distance routes.

_“The taxis that were taking long distances were badly affected. About 14 companies operating in the area have taken the work of taxis,”_ Maphathwana said.

The operators accuse the local municipality of allowing the buses to pick up passengers in Qumbu and Tsolo without consulting the taxi industry. They say this has led to a direct loss of income and jobs.

In response, the taxi industry closed the town today. According to Maphathwana, today’s demonstration was peaceful and was supported by all stakeholders.

However, the industry has issued a warning.
_“If there is no solution to this we are calling for the mayor and the official responsible for this to be removed. We have given them 7 days. Failing to respond to the issues will lead to a non-peaceful march,”_ he said.

Maphathwana confirmed that a petition has already been submitted to COGTA. The industry is demanding two things: the immediate removal of the mayor and the responsible official, and that buses be stopped from operating and picking up passengers in the area.
_“As the affected industry we will not stop until the mayor and the official responsible for this are removed,”_ he added.

The municipality had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.

The shutdown brought business in both Qumbu and Tsolo to a standstill, with commuters forced to find alternative transport. Community leaders have called for urgent talks to prevent further escalation.