Cape Town - Taxi drivers are notorious for ignoring traffic laws, but those in Brooklyn are taking reckless driving to a new level.
Minibus taxis – displaying a disregard for other road users – were photographed mounting and driving on pedestrian walkways, and travelling on the wrong side of the road to jump queues of cars at intersections.
The deputy chairman of the Brooklyn, Ysterplaat and Rugby Residents Association, Justin Kumlehn, said minibus taxis had been causing problems in the area in a variety of ways.
“Besides traffic backlogs, they are probably breaking every road rule there is,” he said. “They disregard everybody and everything. You have to look out for them and move out of the way.”
He said there had been many complaints from residents and, even though traffic services are trying to address the problems, the drivers persist in “breaking the rules”.
“Koeberg Road is made up of two lanes but, during peak hours, taxis effectively create a third lane.”
He said the corner of Koeberg Road and Lady Anne Walk had become a “serious problem”, with taxis using it as an informal taxi rank.
LIMITED RESOURCES
City of Cape Town executive director for Safety and Security, Richard Bosman, said taxis “stopping and ranking” illegally was a problem all over the city.
“The city’s traffic service conducts enforcement operations in as many areas as possible, including Brooklyn and Milnerton. However, given our limited resources, we are not able to be everywhere all the time.”
Bosman said enforcement efforts entailed fining drivers for transgressions in terms of the National Road Traffic Act.
Officers also checked permits to ensure taxis met all the legal requirements.
“Officers do not hesitate to impound the vehicles of drivers who fail to produce operating permits or are operating in contravention of their permit conditions.”
Since the start of the year, more than 500 public transport vehicles had been impounded, he said, with operations taking place in Milnerton, Delft, Vrygrond, Atlantis and Athlone.
Cape Argus