Nabta angry over illegal taxi strike

A SURPRISE protest in Windhoek yesterday by hundreds of taxi drivers is threatening to bring the city of Windhoek to a partial standstill in days to come.

Moreover, the strike has underlined the stark division within the taxi community, as some insist a strike is necessary to resolve the issue of stiff new traffic fines, while others are willing to wait for negotiations. This past weekend, the Namibia Bus and Taxi Association (Nabta) called off a nationwide strike that had been scheduled for yesterday. Nabta boss Magnus Nangombe said the strike was no longer necessary because of a clear indication from Government that they were willing to address the concerns.And yet, a dissenting group yesterday continued with their plans to strike. Nangombe described the strike action as ‘truly childish’ and said the ‘illegal strike’ could do more harm than good at this stage.’I was surprised this morning to know that there are those who take the law into their own hands. Yesterday, the agreement was there will be no strike,’ Nangombe said.’They are spoiling everything,’ he warned. The strike, which took place at two sites in Katutura, was monitored by the City Police and NamPol officers.Strikers were adamant that a strike could help them solve the issue of high fines, and Nangombe was criticised for his perceived lack of action.The Nabta boss was described as ‘useless’ and his plea that the strike be called off was ignored. ‘On this issue, we don’t need Nabta. We don’t need him here,’ one person said.The general mood among the strikers was that fines must be reduced, or thousands of commuters will be left without transport. ‘We will stay here until we get a positive answer. No matter how many months or days it will take,’ said Simon Eliaser, a taxi driver who was part of the group meeting at Donkerhoek in Katutura yesterday.Taxi drivers say the high fines are ‘unreasonable’ and will ruin their business.Taxi drivers claim they earn between N$1 000 and N$2 000 a month, a meagre salary for a job that involves driving from the early morning hours until the early evening.’We don’t say, don’t fine us. There must be fines. But not N$1 000 or more. That is too much. Where can I get the money to pay that fine?’ a driver asked.City Police Chief Abraham Kanime personally visited both sites of the protest, and attempted to discuss the issues.Kanime stressed that the fines are ‘not a fee. You have an option. If you don’t contravene the law, everything will be good.’Kanime warned that the traffic fines are based on law, which cannot be changed on short notice. ‘Why should we be held hostage by these people?’ he asked.Kanime, standing on top of a City Police vehicle, told the group that the fines were being issued according to the amended Criminal Procedure Act. The secretary general of the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), Evilastus Kaaronda, was present after the strikers asked for the union’s support. Kaaronda said NUNW is sympathetic to the plight of the taxi drivers, and described the high fines as unfair. ‘They cannot just simply pay this. If there is such a law, it must be changed with immediate effect,’ he demanded. The striking taxi drivers blame the inflamed situation on bad planning and no consultation with the public or the taxi industry. A critical lack of taxi facilities in dense population areas contributes to the high number of fines, many say. ‘They increased the ticket fines while not giving us enough loading zones,’ was a common complaint. The ‘blue paper’ was a hot topic yesterday, because many of N$1 000 fines have been handed out to drivers who lacked the form.The blue paper is a registration form required by anyone making a living transporting people in a car.Taxi drivers claim that the processing of the forms takes up to 10 months, and during that time, they receive fines. The usual fine of N$350 for a lack of the registration paper increased to N$1 000 this year, to the chagrin of the drivers.