Gauteng Transport Department focuses on taxi lawlessness and violence. Image Credit: SA News.
(The Post News) – The Gauteng Transport Department waged a war against lawlessness on the roads and has criticized the taxi industry after finding numerous unlicensed drivers and more than a dozen unsafe taxis.
In a week-long crackdown on general transport safety, the Gauteng transport department discovered and removed 65 unroadworthy taxis alongside 180 unauthorized drivers. In the statement shared on 24 September, MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Daiale-Tlabela, has called out the taxi industry leadership.
She said it is becoming a concerning “trend” that she will take up with the leaders of the industry for assistance and improvement. She maintains that this is “unacceptable and puts other road users in danger.”
The provincial crackdown, which utilized GTIs, also saw over 2800 infringement noticesbeing handed out to general drivers for a range of transportation-related issues. This included problematic car defects, reckless driving, and improper or absent licensing charges.
Gauteng Taxi Lawlessness and Violence
These findings come as Gauteng grapples with violent taxi incidents in addition to nationwide taxi strikes. A week ago, the industry was mourning the death of Gauteng Chairperson of the National Taxi Alliance (NTA), Thamsanqa Mcriticizedoya, who was shot by another taxi driver while on the Soweto Highway.
The incident also follows a commuters’ strike in Soweto after an Uber driver was murdered and torched by four taxi drivers. The nationwide criticism over lawlessness and deadly violence, which often leaves commuters caught in the crossfire, has been raised numerous times.
Speaking at Thamsanqa Moya’s memorial service on Thursday, the MEC criticised this “norm” and the infighting. She said the industry makes it easy for foreigner infiltration.
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