MEC for Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure Jacob Mamabolo is calling on taxi operators to resolve disputes amicably.

Several taxis were burnt and vandalised near the Carlton Centre in the Johannesburg CBD on Saturday.

“This undermines the work that our department and the taxi industry have been doing to stabilise the province,” says Mamabolo.

He calls on law enforcement to swiftly deal with those behind the violence.

The incident stems from tensions over routes between the Nancefield Dube West and the Witwatersrand African Taxi associations.

Police have not arrested any of the suspects.

Drivers assaulted

Two drivers were assaulted in an altercation at the same site on Friday.

Mamabolo says the government has put in several measures to restore calm in the industry.

“We have always advocated for negotiations as a way of dealing with conflicts among taxi associations. Days of solving conflict through violence are behind us here in Gauteng,” he says.

He adds that the Department of Roads and Transport has adopted an open-door policy that allows taxi operators a platform to raise their concerns without the use of violence. Mamabolo says this is in line with its Growing Gauteng Through Smart Mobility plan.

“This vision has prioritised support mechanisms to assist the taxi industry to modernise and shed its negative reputation and become sustainable.

The latest outburst comes just weeks after four members of the Simunye Taxi Association were dead at the Rainbow Shopping Centre.

Two men driving in a white Audi hatchback opened fire before fleeing the scene. Police continue to search for the suspects.