'We are in constant engagements with taxi associations to strengthen interventions and ensure this practice is stopped,' MEC Diale-Tlabela emphasised.
Picture: JMPD
The Gauteng MEC of Roads and Transport says that she is deeply concerned about the level of non-compliance among minibus operators after more than 100 taxis were taken off the road during stop-and-search operations.
Officers from the Gauteng Traffic Inspectorate (GTI) and the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) conducted targeted enforcement operations along major public corridors, focusing on roadworthiness, valid documentation, driver compliance and adherence to road traffic and public transport legislation between 17 and 23 August 2026.
Unroadworthy Taxis
The week-long operations resulted in the discontinuation of 25 minibuses after they were deemed unroadworthy and posed a serious risk to passengers and other road users.
Inspectors found a range of serious safety defects, including defective braking systems, severely torn seats, engine-related defects, and other mechanical faults that made the vehicles unsafe for public roads.
A total of 24 minibus taxis were issued with discontinuation notices across the province, including one in Tshwane and 23 in Johannesburg.
The MEC is ‘deeply’ concerned
Officers further uncovered that a total of 36 minibuses were found without valid licence discs, while 25 minibus taxi drivers were found operating without valid driving licences.
The Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport said that the continued discovery of drivers operating without valid driving licences was deeply concerning.
“We are in constant engagements with taxi associations to strengthen interventions and ensure this practice is stopped.” MEC Diale-Tlabela emphasised.
“Driving without a valid licence, operating a vehicle under the influence (DUI) and putting unroadworthy vehicles on our roads cannot be treated as minor transgressions,” she added.
‘These are necessary interventions’
Diale-Tlabela explained that the fines, notices and discontinuation of unsafe vehicles are not merely enforcement measures; they are necessary interventions to protect commuters and all road users.
In addition, six motorists were arrested for driving under the influence (DUI), 577 handwritten Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) infringement notices and 948 electronic infringement notices were processed through the Inspectorate’s e-force devices.
The MEC concluded that the continued detection of drivers operating without valid driving licences requires sustained intervention and closer cooperation with the public transport industry.
