Errant taxi drivers annoy motorists
Residents said despite numerous complaints and efforts to stop taxi drivers from breaking the law, their cries constantly fall on deaf ears.
Reckless taxi drivers took centre stage at last Thursday’s Bedfordview Community Policing Forum (BCPF) meeting.
The meeting, chaired by Mr Gavin Henry, was held at the Cornerstone Church in Morninghill.
The meeting was the first of 2017.
Residents said despite numerous complaints and efforts to stop taxi drivers from breaking the law, their cries constantly fall on deaf ears.
Mr Henry, the chairperson of the BCPF, said during peak hour traffic, taxi drivers coming down Townsend Road disregard the rules of the road and drive on the parallel lane meant for oncoming traffic.
“The behaviour is not only unacceptable, but also endangers the lives of other motorists using the route for their daily commute,” said Mr Henry.
Another resident, Mr Peter Wright, said residents should come together and call for the presence of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) on the road during peak hours.
Speaking for the EMPD, Constable Eric Nkhwashu said his office would look into manning the areas of concern.
“Officers have been hard at work at the intersections of Kirkby and Regent, as well as Kloof and Talisman roads. These have always been problematic because motorists simply don’t stop at the stop signs. However, we will deploy officers to Townsend and hand out fines accordingly to offending drivers,” said Const Nkhwashu.
The discharging of fireworks during the festive season was also discussed in the meeting with residents demanding to know if any arrests were made.
Mr Henry encouraged residents to work with the police and to keep reporting incidents and cases to the patrolling sector vehicles.
He said the BCPF would have its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on February 23.
