Taxi patrollers' actions are regrettable: Santaco

The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) says taxi patrollers who harass and intimidate private car owners for giving lifts to hitchhikers are doing so because this causes the taxi industry to lose business. 

However, Santaco spokesperson Rebecca Phala said she does not condone the patrollers' behaviour.

The patrollers' actions have drawn widespread condemnation with multiple videos surfacing on social media showing aggressive behaviour. Some motorists have allegedly had their cars seized and have been forced to pay for them to be returned.

Taxi operators have also stopped e-hailing services using certain routes, claiming them as their own. This has fuelled frustration.

“The patrollers are retaliating because business is being lost by the taxi industry,” Phala said.

“A lot of South Africans, given the number of issues including the high cost of living, are resorting to hitchhiking for lesser rates for their transport needs.

“There's also concern about cases where people report being violated after getting into a private car for a lift.

“Those are the reasons the regrettable decision [by patrollers] has been taken, with Mpumalanga being the most recent,” she said.

Many people have expressed frustration about the taxi patrollers' actions. The frustration escalated when Santaco Mpumalanga chairperson Fanyana Sibanyoni said car owners were not allowed to give people lifts unless they explain their relationship with the passenger to taxi patrollers.

“It's our business. They are infringing on our rights because we, as taxi operators, have permits to load passengers, but people cannot just pick up others because they are not taxis.

“If you see there are family members hiking there and there's a patrol car, just stop your car, go to the security patroller and explain to them this is your family member. Ask them to 'allow' you to pick up the person. I don't think they'll give you a problem.”

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