Gauteng throws in towel over purpose-built taxi ranks

The Gauteng roads and transport department will no longer "waste" millions on building taxi ranks that municipalities leave derelict.

Roads MEC Ismail Vadi told the transport portfolio committee in the provincial legislature that his department was "fed up" with pumping millions into facilities that were abandoned.

It was revealed last week that the department had wasted R57-million on two projects that had not been pressed into use.

One is in Zandspruit, in Honeydew, northern Johannesburg, built at a cost of R27-million in 2009, and the other, costing R30-million, is in Bophelong, in the Vaal Triangle, built in 2012.

Vadi said: "If municipalities don't take responsibility we won't support these projects. I can't be spending R57-million on facilities not being used."

The MEC said he had spoken to "the top five politicians in Johannesburg" repeatedly about the unused Bophelong facility.

The taxi association in Bophelong has refused to use it, ostensibly because of concerns about the roof. Vadi suggested that "politics" might be a factor .