Fourways sees illegal taxi ranks ‘mushrooming’ everywhere, here’s what the law says
With the amount of taxi activity continuing to grow across Fourways areas, the question on many minds is what makes the rank legal or not. This is what you need to know, according to authorities.
After recently visiting several traffic hotspots across Fourways with Ward 94 councillor David Foley, the Fourways Review took a closer look at one question many people may not know the answer to: What exactly makes a taxi rank illegal?
According to the City of Johannesburg Public Transport By-laws, an illegal taxi rank is not simply a place where a taxi stops to pick up or drop off passengers. It occurs when taxis regularly use a public space to queue, load, off-load, or wait for passengers without official approval from the city. Illegal taxi ranks can include road shoulders, pavements, slipways, intersections, parking areas, and open land.
Read more: Taxi rank safety issues voiced
“A legal public transport facility must be approved by the city council, gazetted, and clearly marked with designated public transport road signs,” states the by-laws. “Any location operating as a taxi rank without these requirements is regarded as an illegal ranking facility.”
One of the locations highlighted during the site visit was a slipway on Uranium Road. “There was a little slipway created here on Uranium Road,” said Foley, “and it has been taken over by taxis. They are even washing vehicles, which is also illegal.”
The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) confirmed that the Bushwillow Avenue and Uranium Street location is not a designated taxi rank.
Also read: Is a new taxi rank feasible?
JMPD spokesperson Superintendent Xolani Fihla said a recognised public transport facility must be approved and properly designated. “Vehicle washing on public roads is prohibited. Enforcement operations have resulted in fines for parking and traffic violations, as well as the confiscation of vehicle-washing equipment.”
For residents, understanding the distinction is important. A taxi stopping briefly to collect or drop off passengers is not necessarily an illegal taxi rank. The concern arises when a public space is repeatedly used as an unofficial transport facility without the city’s approval.
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