Cape Town - Taxi drivers and the companies they work for have been slammed after 242 taxis were impounded in 31 days.
Mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith criticised the drivers and companies for disregarding the law.
Smith said there was a trend among transport companies to transport people illegally in contravention of the National Land Transport Act. The Act prohibits taxi drivers from operating a road-based public transport service without an operating licence.
Smith said 242 taxis had been impounded between 1 January 1 and 1 February, and that the problem of drivers and companies operating without valid papers was widespread.
“This is not a matter of danger, it is a matter of people not complying with the law,” he insisted. “Traffic fines are issued accordingly and if they operate without an operating licence or contrary to the conditions of their operating licence, their vehicles are impounded.
“If the council fails to enforce the operating licence, the taxis not on their operating routes cause a huge negative impact.”
Taxis taking reckless to new level
The vehicles impounded include minibus taxis, metered taxis and other taxi services.
Western Cape Metered Taxi Council chairman Aldino Muller said that while metro police officers should enforce the law, taxi drivers also have rights and must not be targeted.
He said the association had received complaints from taxi drivers who claimed their vehicles had been impounded “for having attitude” and not for breaking the law.
“More awareness needs to be raised so that people can understand what an illegal taxi is and what a legal taxi is,” he said. “Therefore the government must actually ensure that there is proper identification for the industry. Some taxi drivers have complained that police impound legal taxis as well.”
He added that laws protecting taxi drivers from being targeted needed to be established.
PERMIT PROCESS ‘FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED’
Congress for Democratic Taxi Associations spokesman Becukhu Ndungane said the impounding of taxis was a problem, “especially on the basis of unclear impoundment |reasons”.
He said the process of obtaining a permit was “fundamentally flawed”.
“The law requires an operator to be operating for a minimum of 180 days before the City of Cape Town can consider the application for a permit. This becomes very challenging for us.
“If that is the case and the vehicle is impounded, how are we going to provide proof of operation. They are actually saying you must first break the law before they can assist you with complying.”
He said that this was “disempowering” taxi drivers who worked hard to earn a living.
But transport MEC Donald Grant said the association was misinterpreting the legislation, more specifically Section 78 of the National Land Transport Act No.5 of 2009.
“It is not a requirement to operate 180 days before being eligible to obtain an operating licence. Before deciding to grant an operating licence to an applicant, a needs analysis is conducted to determine whether demand exceeds supply on a particular route.
“If an applicant that has been granted an operating licence does not use it, that applicant affects the market as he is contributing to increased demand that is not met,” said Grant.
Cape Argus