The taxi route B97 between Mbekweni/Paarl and Bellville will be closed for business due to an ongoing deadly dispute between associations CATA and CODETA.

The Western Cape Transport MEC Daylin Mitchell announced that the two-month closure comes into effect on Monday.

This means that all routes and ranks, including lanes situated at the Bellville Public Transport Interchange are shut for any minibus taxi-type service. Taxi operators who violate the closure will be committing an offence and will be either issued a fine of R5000 or be jailed for a period not more than six months.

MEC Mitchell says they can longer be held hostage by a criminal few who continue to undermine the interests of many law-abiding taxi drivers.

Over 80 people have been killed in taxi related violence this year. CATA and CODETA have both claimed the right to operate on the B97 route. Efforts to resolve the conflict have failed to yield any solution.

[Picture: Supplied]