How often do taxis cause fatal crashes?

Almost the same number of pedestrians are killed as vehicle occupants, Gauteng provincial government said.

June 10, 2016

Rorisang Kgosana 2 minutes read

The minibus taxi industry today is the most critical pillar of the South African public transport sector. Not only is it the most available mode of transport, it is also the most affordable to the public.

The industry plays an important role in the economy considering that the majority of the population is poor and depend on public transport, Arrive Alive said.

The latest vehicle statistics show that by the end of April this year, 117 000 taxis were registered in Gauteng out of a total of 301 000 in South Africa.

However, taxis are often seen as unsafe and violate road rules. There has been concerns by citizens pertaining to road crashes involving minibus taxis.

Arrive Alive shared insights to the threats to road safety “and the urgent need for cooperation with the taxi industry to provide greater safety for the South African road users.”

Summary of fatal crashes involving taxis in Gauteng

According to statistics released by the Gauteng provincial government, out of the 56 fatal accidents involving taxis this year, 84 people have died.

Fatalities per road user involving taxis in Gauteng

Out of the 84 people that have died in fatal taxi accidents, the majority were passengers, with 45 passengers being killed in fatal taxi collisions.

Recent taxi accidents in Pretoria

Nineteen school children, aged between five and seven, were injured when a minibus taxi that was transporting them to school overturned in Cullinan on Wednesday.

Last Monday, Kevin Brown (27), a Pretoria east resident, was knocked down by a taxi while he was jogging in Constantia Park. According to witnesses, the taxi had skipped a red traffic light.

Brown spent a week in ICU at the Pretoria East hospital and a docket of reckless and negligent driving was opened at the Garsfontein police station.

A taxi driver was facing charges of culpable homicide after his taxi knocked over and killed a metro police officer on the Mabopane freeway two weeks ago. The driver was arrested.

Recent high profile minibus taxi-related fatal crashes in Gauteng

29 November 2015 – 19 people dead in a taxi crash on R28 towards Vereeniging. Five children and 14 adults died in the accident.
29 April 2016 – 15 people died when a taxi coming from Randfontein swerved in front of a truck.
20 May 2016 – A metro officer died in hospital after he was hit by a taxi on the Mabopane freeway.