Unlicensed drivers, unsafe taxis flagged in Mogale City crackdown
Three taxis were taken off the road in Mogale City during a Gauteng Transport Inspectorate crackdown on public transport compliance.
Three minibus taxis were discontinued in Mogale City after being found unroadworthy during a Gauteng Transport Inspectorate (GTI) crackdown on public transport operators.
The municipality was among several areas targeted by the GTI, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and other law-enforcement agencies between September 1 and 6 as part of the #RemoveSkorokoro campaign.
In Mogale City, inspectors issued 30 handwritten Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (Aarto) infringement notices and a further 23 electronic notices through the Inspectorate’s e-Force devices.
The three taxis taken off the road formed part of 23 discontinuation notices issued across Gauteng during the enforcement operations. Johannesburg accounted for 19, while Ekurhuleni had one.
The operations targeted high-risk public transport corridors and focused on roadworthiness, documentation, driver licences and compliance with road traffic regulations.
Across the province, inspectors found 56 minibuses operating without valid licence discs and identified 103 drivers who were operating without valid driving licences.
A further 17 minibus taxis were discontinued after being found unroadworthy.
Safety defects identified by inspectors included faulty braking systems, worn tyres, non-functioning headlights and brake lights, faulty indicators and other mechanical problems that made the vehicles unsafe for public roads.
Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport Kedibone Diale-Tlabela warned that unlicensed drivers transporting passengers pose a serious risk to commuters and other road users.
“The sustained flagging of unlicensed drivers in the public transport sector continues to put commuters and other road users at unnecessary risk. We reiterate that this is unacceptable and compromises the province’s road safety efforts,” she said.
Diale-Tlabela said the GTI would continue working with the RTMC and other law-enforcement agencies to improve compliance.
She added that engagements with the minibus taxi industry were continuing in an effort to find a lasting solution to non-compliance.
The enforcement operations formed part of the department’s ongoing efforts to remove unsafe vehicles and unlicensed drivers from Gauteng’s roads.
