Cape Town - A task team has been set up to monitor the Vrygrond Taxi Association's conduct after being accused of route invasions and intimidation, Western Cape Transport MEC Donald Grant said on Wednesday.
The province's regulatory entity recently suspended the association administratively for three months, after inquiries last June and in April.
This, amid an increase in taxi-related crimes and a spate of violent shootings and killings.
Grant said the suspension would only be reconsidered if the association adhered to a number of conditions.
These conditions included not extorting money or interfering with the legal operation of any taxi association or member in the Vrygrond area in Cape Town.
It also had to co-exist with the Retreat Taxi Association and the Steenberg Taxi association and not prevent their members from using the Vrygrond taxi rank.
A task team, made up of taxi association members and city and provincial officials, would monitor their conduct.
“Failure to comply will result in more drastic action being taken by the office of the Provincial Transport Registrar (again, in terms of the legislative framework),” Grant said.
Both Grant and Cape Town transport mayoral committee member Brett Herron were concerned by the recent increase in taxi crimes.
Since April, the city's metro police had been deployed to the area to assist the SA Police Service in clamping down on unlicensed operators and illegal behaviour.
Both said while they took their role in the taxi industry seriously, it fell to disputing operators to work out a way forward and end taxi violence.
Sapa