More than 60 taxis taken off the roads in one week: Here’s why

These operations aimed to target high-risk public transport corridors by removing unroadworthy vehicles from roads. Amidst high-impact stop-and-search operations across major metropolitan municipalities in Gauteng, more than 60 taxis have been discontinued due to invalid licences and serious mechanical defects. A total of 33 minibus taxi drivers were found operating without valid driving licences, while another 32 vehicles were found operating without valid licence discs. 11 minibus taxis discontinued The operations carried out by the Gauteng Transport Inspectorate (GTI) and the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) between 27 July and 2 August 2026. These stop-and-search operations also uncovered numerous traffic violations after a total of 11 minibuses were discontinued after inspectors identified serious mechanical defects. These included faulty brakes, worn tyres and defective lighting systems, amongst other safety risks. Stop-and-search operations These operations aimed to target high-risk public transport corridors by removing unroadworthy vehicles from roads, improving compliance with traffic legislation, and addressing criminality within the transport sector. Resulting in the issuing of 42 discontinuation notices to non-compliant motorists across the province: 12 in Tshwane, 13 in Joburg and 17 in Ekurhuleni. Law enforcement efforts further resulted in the arrest of nine motorists for various offences including: fraud and driving under the influence, reinforcing ongoing crime prevention initiatives. More than 1 700 infringement notices The inspectorate issued more than 900 manual Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (AARTO) infringement notices to strengthen compliance and accountability. Additionally, 815 electronic infringement notices were processed using the inspectorate’s e-Force devices. The Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela emphasised that the operations remain critical to Gauteng’s road and safety strategy. Lawlessness will not be tolerated “Through these stop-and-search operations, we are not only removing unroadworthy vehicles from our roads, but are also sending a clear message that lawlessness and non-compliance will not be tolerated.” “We remain committed to building a safer, more reliable, and accountable public transport system for the people of Gauteng,” said MEC Diale-Tlabela. She concluded that these operations play a vital role in disrupting criminal activity, removing unsafe vehicles from circulation, and restoring discipline within the public transport sector, beyond just enforcing compliance with road traffic legislation.