Focus on ‘neglected’ Marabastad taxi rank
Taxi association leaders have complained about crime, traffic congestion and the shortage or epic neglect of infrastructure.
The Marabastad taxi rank in Pretoria CBD has been described as being neglected and problematic by taxi associations and commuters alike.
Taxi association leaders have complained about crime, traffic congestion and the shortage or epic neglect of infrastructure.
Foreign taxi drivers who sleep at the rank also cried of a lack of adequate sleeping rooms as they prepared to journey on their long-distance trips.
Bazaar taxi association chairman Stanley Thabete said they had to build their own small shelter to shield commuters from the elements.
“They used to get wet when it rained during their long wait in queues, and they would also suffer dehydration and sunburn due to the heat.”
Thabete said the shelter around R100 000 “as that was all we could afford from our own coffers”.
“We still need lighting, access to water and other basics such as toilet access.”
“We clean the rank ourselves. We have hired staff to clean here.”
He said further challenges were “tsotsis, robberies, nyaope addicts”.
“It’s worse at month-end and weekends.”
He said during month-end and weekends, traffic congestion in Marabastad was also a factor.
Other association leaders said taxis could even run out petrol while stuck in traffic congestion in Marabastad.
READ MORE: State of Gauteng taxi ranks shocks top honcho
Gauteng public transport and roads infrastructure MEC Jacob Mamabolo has said provincial taxi ranks were neglected because they were “no one’s problem”.
“Taxi ranks belong to no one, they are just on their own.”
During a tour to see the nature and magnitude of problems faced by commuters in the province, Mamabolo visited Marabastad and Bloed Street taxi rank facilities as well as the location where taxi driver Jabu Mahlangu was shot and killed earlier this year.
“This gives us an opportunity to first highlight the challenges and witness them for ourselves – the real daily transportation experiences of our people,” said Mamabolo.
He said this would allow the government to plan better on how to resolve the issues faced by commuters.
Mamabolo said these challenges could be better tackled holistically and comprehensively by having discussions with members of mayoral committees in the city.
“If any of the spheres of government try to deal with the rank issues alone, we will repeat exactly what has not worked,” he said.
He said government failure occurred mostly when it attempted to solve challenges in silos.
“However, we will work far much better when we have an integrated …first definition of the problem, and second, planning on how to fix the problem and lastly, the implementation to solve issues.”
Mamabolo said at the centre of the taxi rank problem was the governance of ranks.
“With good governance in place, any problem can be solved. It is not clear who is running Tshwane taxi ranks. Even the hawkers themselves do not know whose facilities it is where they are running their businesses from,” he said.
Mamabolo said he had no solution to the issues many taxi ranks in The province faced.
READ MORE: Foreign nationals claim continued harassment by Tshwane taxi drivers
“To say I have a solution to the problems, that would be lie number 1. I shouldn’t lie and say the government knows what it will do.”
He said his office would work on a governance model that would give them control of the taxi ranking environment.
“The first step is to take control and not do things as in the past as that is not working.”
He said the taxi industry also needed to play its role in the upkeep of ranks.
Mamabolo said a meeting with various MMCs in the province to debrief and work with them on solutions to govern these ranks would follow his tour.
“The priority right now is taxi ranks. This is urgent as they are terrible and they carry approximately 70 percent of commuters.”
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