Taxi turmoil in Cape Town: CODETA fights 10-route shutdown as commuters suffer

CODETA

Cape Town – The Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Association (CODETA) is in the Western Cape High Court challenging the provincial government’s decision to close ten taxi routes linking areas such as Mfuleni, Khayelitsha and Somerset West.

According to EWN, the Western Cape government imposed the 30-day shutdown earlier this month, citing an escalation of taxi violence between rival associations.

The decision was taken under extraordinary measures granted to the Mobility Department after repeated clashes between CODETA and the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA) left commuters vulnerable.

CODETA chairperson Nceba Enge argued that the closure was unfair and had inflicted severe financial losses on operators.

“We had been operating on that route for three weeks without any incidents of violence,” Enge said, insisting that government “acted prematurely” by shutting down the corridors.

As stated by Western Cape Mobility MEC Isaac Sileku, the closures will remain in place until either the courts decide otherwise or the rival associations reach a peace deal.

“The extraordinary measures shall remain in place until advised otherwise by the courts of law or a peaceful and sustainable agreement is reached,” he said, as reported by IOL.

The matter has already faced delays due to outstanding court documents, but CODETA maintains that its members are being unfairly punished for violence they say they were not responsible for.

The dispute is the latest flare-up in the long-running rivalry between CODETA and CATA, who have clashed repeatedly over lucrative routes in Cape Town. Commuters have been left stranded or forced to seek alternative transport such as buses, while operators battle over control of the roads.

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