The Gauteng taxi industry is threatening to hold a province-wide strike over the failure to issue and renew operating licences.
The National Taxi Alliance announced that it would organise the strike, which is expected to take place next week on Tuesday, 28 July 2026.
It said the strike was in response to failures at the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport, as many operators have been unable to renew their operating licences or apply for new ones.
The taxi council said this has resulted in backlogs in the renewal process, which have not been addressed by the provincial department.
Operating licences are mandatory for taxi drivers, who can face steep fines or have their vehicles impounded if they fail to produce one.
Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, the MEC for Roads and Transport in Gauteng, said these allegations were not true.
She responded to the complaints, stating that the current system is working as intended to remove illegal and “ghost” operators from the system.
The MEC added that there were several discrepancies between the number of members taxi associations report to the department and the number registered with the department.
In one case, a taxi organisation stated that it had 542 members, while the Gauteng Roads and Transport Department had recorded roughly 4,800 people associated with it.
Gauteng’s National Taxi Alliance Chair, Mpho Motsepe, called for a meeting between his organisation and the MEC.
He said the meeting would allow the two parties to discuss grievances within the taxi industry, and a strike would occur if their concerns were not resolved within seven days.
Motsepe also alleged that the MEC had approached the taxi groups before consulting with the National Taxi Alliance, going against normal procedures.
He claimed this happened despite his organisation objecting to the meetings. He said that the department’s conduct may lead to violence.
South Africa reining in the taxi industry
Earlier this week, MEC Diale-Tlabela reaffirmed the government’s commitment to a constructive and transparent partnership with the taxi industry, but noted the need to strengthen governance over the operating licence system.
These comments were made after the Gauteng Taxi Industry raised concerns about the department’s stakeholder engagement programme and the current operating licence issuing model.
The MEC said that the current licensing model is a necessary governance intervention, informed by concerns raised within the industry.
“These interventions are a direct response to allegations of irregularities, inconsistent administrative practices and possible corruption within the system,” she said.
“We have a responsibility to act decisively to protect legitimate operators and restore public confidence.”
At the national level, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy and Deputy Minister, Mkhuleko Hlengwa, called for stricter policing of public transport services earlier this year.
This was in response to the tragic accident in Vanderbijlpark in January 2026, when 14 schoolchildren were killed when a minibus scholar transport attempted a dangerous overtake into oncoming traffic.
The driver was charged with 14 counts of murder, 3 counts of attempted murder, reckless and negligent driving, driving an unroadworthy car, and driving without a permit.
Following the incident, the transport minister instructed traffic law enforcement agencies, including the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) National Traffic Police, to increase law enforcement operations.
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