EMPD and police ensure road safety.
EMPD and police officers held a road block in KwaThema last Friday.
According to the EMPD spokesman Wilfred Kgasago the roadblock was aimed at ensuring safety on the roads.
He said out of 37 local taxis (Izigcebhe) that were taken to the Springs testing station to check their road worthiness, only 19 taxis passed the test while 18 taxis were found not to be road worthy and taken off the public roads.
“Twenty eight drivers were found to be driving without licences and 56 drivers were given fines for various defects on their vehicles,” said Kgasago.
He said after the planned night operation in the area targeting the drink and driving offences was disturbed by a heavy rain, the officers instead embarked on a visibility patrol.
“We rate the patrol operation as successful as the road users obeyed the rules of the road,” concluded Kgasago.
One of the KwaThema residents who depends on taxis for transport, Nomusa Masango said she is happy about the operation done by the police and the EMPD on Friday.
She confirmed that some of Izigcebhe are not in a good condition, however the passengers do not have a choice but to use these taxis.
“Because we do not have any kind of transport that will transport us around the township, we are forced to use the local taxis even if it means putting our lives at risk,” said Masango.
Adding that since she knows that the unroadworthy taxis were taken off the road, she feels safe and hopes that the owners do not force drivers to put their taxis back on the road.
