Is a new taxi rank feasible?

A feasibility study is currently underway for the construction of a taxi holding area on Bowling Avenue in Sunninghill.

Ward 93 councillor Candice James said she was in talks with the City of Johannesburg Department of Transport regarding the proposed project. The City and the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) own respective portions of land along Bowling Avenue, and Joburg Property Company has an agreement with Sanral to lease the portion of land.

She added that it had been an issue of concern for almost four years and she had been in communication with the taxi organisation concerned during this time. “The idea with the feasibility study is to see if it is worthwhile extending the area for the taxi organisation as [the taxis are] overflowing onto the road. With the overflowing comes more dirt and road congestion.”

James said community members have not been complaining about the taxi rank per se, but more about the littering, the washing of taxis and the taxis parking in front of Sunninghill Hospital. The latter is no longer an issue as James and the taxi association had communicated about the problem.

Department of Transport spokesperson, Benny Makgoga said since the study was still ongoing, it was beneficial for the Sunninghill community to know that something was being done to possibly combat the taxis from overflowing onto the road and have a safe area for the taxis to be parked overnight. “The City is aware of capacity demands within the catchment area, and as is the normal practice within the built environment, a feasibility study is first conducted so as to assess in detail a conceptual plan of possibly increasing the rank’s space.”

He added that it was expected that the study would provide more details on the practicality and cost to enable adequate resource allocation. “At the moment, the department cannot determine how long it will be before further progress can be made with the rank. However, the study is expected to be completed by June this year.”