Pretoria - The Gauteng Department of Education on Thursday morning advised parents to keep their children at home as a safety precaution.
Despite most learners writing their June examinations, the Gauteng MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi, assured that no child will be penalised for not making it to school due to the taxi strike. He said those writing examinations will be allowed to write later.
“Please do not force matters. The safety of our learners comes first. No learner will be disadvantaged because of the taxi strike,” MEC Lesufi tweeted on Thursday morning.
Taxi drivers affiliated to the SA National Taxi Association (Santaco) are embarking on protest action on major routes in the province.
The strike is affecting Gauteng's main highways like the N1, N3, N14 and Johannesburg's M1, which has caused major blockades on several key roads.
Taxi commuters are also badly affected, with thousands left stranded at most of the taxi ranks around Johannesburg due to the strike.
Taxi operators are complaining about the excessive fees they are being charged when they buy Toyota Quantum vehicles, which is the popular taxi brand. - SAnews.gov.za
