Taxi commuter safety not guaranteed

18 December 2014 - 02:07 By Penwell Dlamini
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MEC for Roads and Transport, Ismail Vadi, at the opening of South Africa's first commercial compressed natural gas (CNG) fuelling station on November 27, 2012 in Johannesburg, South Africa. CNG is a transport-fuel alternative which produces less greenhouse gasses than petrol. It is especially suited for long distance fleets and can reduce fuel usage by 30%.
MEC for Roads and Transport, Ismail Vadi, at the opening of South Africa's first commercial compressed natural gas (CNG) fuelling station on November 27, 2012 in Johannesburg, South Africa. CNG is a transport-fuel alternative which produces less greenhouse gasses than petrol. It is especially suited for long distance fleets and can reduce fuel usage by 30%.
Image: Cornel van Heerden

The safety of taxi commuters in Gauteng cannot be guaranteed, despite a commitment by taxi associations to resolve their conflicts, Gauteng transport MEC Ismail Vadi said.

The MEC yesterday put on hold his decision to close violence-plagued taxi ranks in the province, saying the industry had agreed to work with his department and the police to end the violence. Vadi said at least 90 people had been killed in taxi-related violence in the past 12 to 18 months and that violence was rising to levels last experienced in the 1990s.

Some of the conflict is caused by disputes between taxi associations about routes. There is also infighting in the taxi associations.

Two weeks ago Vadi announced the closure of taxi ranks at which violence had erupted.

He has since met representatives of taxi associations from Reiger Park, Boksburg and Vosloorus, on the East Rand, and from Mamelodi, Pretoria, and central Johannesburg. The associations committed themselves to co-operating with the department.

The taxi associations agreed to:

  • Disallow operators without valid permits;
  • Abide by court orders in cases of disputed routes;
  • Place the interests and safety of commuters first;
  • Co-operate with the police in criminal investigations; and
  • Work with the government to expose public servants who fraudulently issue operating licences.

But taxi associations said yesterday that they could not guarantee the safety of commuters.

"We cannot actually assure them that there will be no violence. We can have discussions . and come to an agreement, but certain elements from outside can come in and provoke everything," said Michael Sultan, spokesman for the Reiger Park Taxi Association.

Five people were killed during taxi violence in Boksburg last month in what is believed to have been a conflict between the Vosloorus and Boksburg District and the Reiger Park taxi associations.

In July, four people died in the Vaal Triangle after a group of men ambushed security guards hired to protect taxi association officials.

Vadi said three other areas were "flash points" for violence: Randburg and Alexandra in Johannesburg, and central Pretoria.

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