‘Road safety cannot be compromised’: Gauteng MEC as non-compliant taxis are taken off the roads

Minibus taxi operators were found operating without valid licence discs or driving licences, while others were driving unroadworthy vehicles, raising road safety concerns. Stop-and-search operations across Gauteng have uncovered 57 minibus taxis operating without licence discs, while others were discontinued for being unroadworthy. The operations, conducted by the Gauteng Transport Inspectorate (GTI), Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and other law-enforcement agencies, also found 63 drivers operating without valid driving licences. Gauteng MEC for roads and transport Kedibone Diale-Tlabela reiterated that road safety cannot be compromised. Taxi drivers netted During the week-long operations held between 1 and 8 November, officers discovered 63 drivers still operating without valid driving licences. Officers also discontinued 21 minibus taxis after being found to be unroadworthy and posing safety risks to passengers and other road users. According to Diale-Tlabela, these vehicles had defective brakes, worn tyres, and faulty lights, among others. Infringement notices GTI officers issued 727 handwritten Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) infringement notices across the province. An additional 874 electronic infringement notices were processed through the Inspectorate’s e-Force devices. The operations also resulted in the issuing of 47 discontinuation notices. Arrests Officers arrested five individuals; four were accused of driving under the influence and another for attempted bribery. “Road safety cannot be compromised. “Public transport vehicles must meet the minimum safety standards, and drivers must have [the] requisite licences to operate, ” Diale-Tlabela said. Ensuring road safety “Our commitment to improve visibility, enhance enforcement efforts and work with the public transport industry is unwavering,” said the MEC. “This is to ensure that passengers are transported safely and that all road users are protected,” she added. Diale-Tlabela concluded by noting that the department would continue engagements with various law-enforcement agencies and public transport operators, particularly the minibus taxi industry, to address non-compliance, improve operator accountability and promote safer public transport.