UPDATE | More roads affected by taxi protests

There have been more roads closed due to the Eastern Cape taxi strike which started on Wednesday morning.

According to Road and Transport spokesperson Unathi Bhinqose, the East London intersection of R346 and R72 at Mount Coke towards Port Alfred is closed due to protest action.

He said the N2 between Dutywa and Butterworth has also been closed due to protest action. 

Bhinqose added that the N2 between Dutywa and Mthatha has also been closed due to the strike.

Other roads closed due to protest action in the province include the R408 road in Dutywa towards Ngcobo, R408 Dutywa towards  Willowvale and R61 Port St Johns at Bridge towards Lusikisiki and Mthatha.

The Amalinda Main Road in East London was blockaded by minibus taxis on Wednesday morning.

Bhinqose told DispatchLIVE earlier that the taxi drivers started shutting down roads as early as 4am on Wednesday.  

Roads that were confirmed closed by 7am due to protests included the R346  in Stutterheim towards King Williams, N6 road between Stutterheim towards East London and other local access roads in Stutterheim,  R61 in Port St Johns at Mampube turn-off towards Mthatha. The R67 Fort Beaufort towards Seymour closed due to protests action.

Uitenhage Rocklands road and Uitenhage Melbrooks road to Nobuhle township were also closed.

Roads were blockaded with burning tyres in Phakamisa near King Williams Town and N6 near Stutterheim. The N2 between East London and King William's Town have also been closed near Fort Jackson.

"These are the road already confirmed closed. Our officer are on the ground monitoring the situation," said Bhinqose.

Businesses, schools, universities and even municipalities announced they would either shut or curb activities for fear of disruption and violence.

Buffalo City Metro has over 40 traffic and law enforcement  officers deployed across the city. 

The metro said in a statement the situation was "quiet and calm" just after 6am.  "So far, there was an attempt to block off the N2 on the Blaney junction near Ndevana, however, officers managed the situation."

Meanwhile, commuters have been left stranded as both taxis and buses in the area were not on the roads.

The one-day taxi strike is around a range of issues including an alleged failure by the transport department to tag schoolchildren who use scholar transport for identification purposes‚ a struggle to obtain operating permits‚ claims of harassment at the hands of traffic officers‚ fuel price increases with operators unable to increase taxi fares and their opposition to commuters hitchhiking.