As commuters reported some disruptions to taxi services in Johannesburg on Monday, the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) said it planned to meet to discuss its "options" on the launch of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) operations.

Santaco spokesperson Thabisho Molelekwa said he was trying to get hold of people to organise the meeting for later on Monday.

He said he had "read over the news" that some taxis were staging a go-slow.

Asked if a strike was still on the cards, Molelekwa said the planned meeting would "look at those options and see the best option going ahead".

As the BRT system began its operations on Monday morning, some disruption to services was reported.

Johannesburg metro police spokesperson Inspector Edna Mamonyane said CCTV cameras along the route from Soweto to Booysens were "not picking up a lot of volume from taxis going from Booysens to the CBD".

"Normally it's quite a huge number coming from Soweto to the CBD."

She said traffic in general was still "flowing OK" from Soweto.

"[Also] in Twist Street in the CBD there is quite a high volume of taxis that are busy."

Commuter George Myezi, travelling from Soweto, said he arrived at work an hour late as there were no taxis in Soweto.

Vinolia Mogotlane, trying to catch a taxi at the Randburg taxi rank, said drivers were on a go-slow and only willing to travel to the Noord taxi rank.

After a celebratory launch on Sunday, Rea Vaya coaches were expected to take to the streets on Monday in designated lanes, designed to allow commuters to escape peak hour congestion.

Ticket prices range from R3, R5 to R8 for trips along various parts of the route, from the CBD past Ellis Park Stadium and into Soweto.

The BRT system had raised the ire of the minibus taxi industry, which believed it threatens their livelihood.

Last week they lost an emergency court bid to stop the system. Since then there has been confusion on whether the industry would strike or not.

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