Taxi association blames lack of alternative for parking on Winnie Mandela Drive
Taxi operators say there is nowhere else for them to go, which is why they’re still on the road, and that relocating to the same private property as informal traders is something they never thought of, claiming the alleged monthly R2 500 access fee is unaffordable.
While residents in Fourways continue to voice frustration over taxis parking illegally along Winnie Mandela Drive, taxi operators say they are being left with no other viable alternative.
Despite repeated operations by the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) to remove taxis from the busy stretch, particularly near and under the Witkoppen Bridge, operators keep returning, not out of defiance, but out of necessity, according to Alexandra Taxi Association’s Fourways Committee spokesperson Mbuyiseni Mhlongo.
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“We are very much aware that the residents in Fourways don’t want us here, but we do not have anywhere else to go.”
JMPD has conducted several enforcement drives in the area, dispersing taxis and warning drivers against stopping and parking in no-stopping zones. However, the association says without a designated rank or alternative space, drivers are left with little choice. “This is where the commuters are. If we move far from here, we lose business. People rely on us for transport every day.”
The issue comes after informal traders, who were previously operating along provincial roads, were removed for contravening by-laws. They relocated to a private property nearby. When asked why taxi operators could not join the traders at the new site, Mhlongo said the costs associated with operating there make it impossible. “The informal traders have to pay R2 500 to security every day to access and trade on that property. The people who wash our cars cannot afford that money.”
He added that while there may be other vacant spaces, many are privately owned and not accessible without formal agreements. “We know there are other places, but they have owners. So, now we are looking at the city to come up with a solution. We are not refusing to move. We just need somewhere affordable and legal to go.”
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Mhlongo also addressed concerns around young men operating informal car washes along Winnie Mandela Drive, just before the bridge, another source of complaints from residents.
“Some of those boys have a terrible past. Some used to steal. When they chase them from here, they are sending them back to those crimes. That is not what we want to see happen, since it took a lot of effort for us to rehabilitate these gents.
“We are trying to work, but we need the city to sit down with us and find a proper solution.”
JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla and city spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane were contacted for comment on ongoing enforcement and whether a long-term plan is being considered. An update will be provided once their responses are available.
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