By OBAKENG MAJE
The furious taxi drivers in Taung barricaded the entrance of the Taung Traffic Department on Wednesday. This comes after more than 20 minibus taxis were impounded allegedly by traffic officers for ferrying learners.
The South African Taxi National Council (SANTACO) chairperson in North West, Ebusang Tladi said the action of traffic officers will cause mayhem.
“I was woken up by taxi drivers alleging that the traffic officers from Taung Traffic Department have impounded their taxis, simply because they were ferrying learners. According to the drivers, the traffic officers demanded scholar transport permits from them.
“So, when I arrived here, I had a consultative engagement with the traffic officer’s senior manager. I requested him to understand the situation of taxi drivers because the parents of learners who use taxis as scholar transport do not pay taxi fares on a daily basis,” he said. Â
Tladi further said, the taxi drivers have subsidised these parents, which the government dismally failed to do. He added that, as taxi owners, they understand the situation of many parents due to the high rate of unemployment
“It is our responsibility to assist these parents because they are also our commuters. So, they are charged around R400 to R600 per month, now, the traffic department must multiply R500 by 15 and see for itself, if the overall amount is enough for taxi owners to cover their monthly instalments.
“With that amount, taxi owners cannot pay their monthly instalments and still survive. The cost of living is too high and it will be highly impossible for those taxis to be used as scholar transport only,” said Tladi.
He said they have also engaged with the department to allow them to have scholar transport permits as the National Transport Act of 2009 stipulates. However, Tladi said, the department refused to heed their call because it says any taxi used to ferry learners, should be branded as learner transport.
“They said that particular taxis cannot be used as a learner and public transport at the same time. Surprisingly, the permit says passengers without being specific. So, according to my understanding, a passenger can be anybody who is ferried around.
“Now, all taxis that have permits, but ferrying learners are impounded, which is wrong. The law allows taxis to have scholar transport permits, but they vehemently refuse to give them to us. According to those traffic officers, they were instructed to impound taxis ferrying learners and they said there is nothing they could do rather than follow instructions,” said Tladi.
He said, he personally called the traffic officers’ superior but denied instructing those traffic officers to target taxis ferrying learners. Tladi said the action of these traffic officers indirectly affect learners.
“Imagine, taxi drivers, ferrying learners to school and manoeuvre around because of traffic officers. We had an agreement that all taxis ferrying learners should be roadworthy and not carry overload.
“I call for tranquillity between traffic officers and taxi drivers because, if the situation continues like this, things will get out of hand. We are not going to allow traffic officers to harass and provoke our taxi drivers,” he said.
Meanwhile, the North West Department of Community Safety and Transport Management spokesperson, Alpheus Koonyaditse said: “Taxi operators are allowed to ferry anyone as long as they are working within the confines of their permits.
“The impounded taxis will be released immediately after their owners paid stipulated fines. Remember, if there is a contravention of regulations, law enforcement is authorised to restore order.”
The Guardian 