Betty Moleya
Pretoria - Taxi drivers and owners yesterday took to the streets of Soshanguve to promote good driving habits and send a strong warning to criminals.
The convoy comprised members of the Soshanguve Taxi Owners Association, Mapobane Winterveldt Klipgat Taxi Association and Soshanguve Local and Long Distance Taxi Association.
It started at Batho Plaza in Soshanguve Block KK, stopped at Mabopane Station and proceeded to Soshanguve Crossing.
At the stops, the participants handed out pamphlets to commuters and passersby with information about the campaign and advised them to come forward if they had any information about the crimes taking place in the community.
Soshanguve Taxi Owners Association spokesperson Vuyisile Jaca said new stickers would be issued to all their members to help in identifying culprits. The registration numbers of the taxis will be copied to the windscreens and at the back as well as inside on the doors.
“No day passes without cases of rape, robbery, hijacking and business robbery. The culprits use vehicles with fake or no registration numbers.”
On Monday, numerous taxi associations embarked on similar action in the city centre.
Jaca said: “Monday's march was for the whole Tshwane region, as crimes committed in taxis do not only happen in Soshanguve.
“Four long-distance taxi drivers have been killed and passengers robbed of their money and valuables in recent days.”
Jaca told of a Soshanguve woman who was robbed of her valuables. The criminals withdrew all her money from her bank account and then raped her.
“The woman got into a taxi at around 7pm. She cannot identify the vehicle because it had no registration numbers.“
Jaca said they apprehended one suspect and handed him over to the police.
The drivers said they were also concerned as other drivers used drugs while on duty and wanted them identified and reported to the associations for possible “blacklisting”.
Pretoria News