Number of informal traders at new taxi rank ‘has doubled’
“It should take about two to three weeks to finalise the trading issues at the new rank.”
The number of informal traders at the new state-of-the-art taxi rank on the corner of South Street and Hendrik Verwoerd Drive has doubled, a local ward councillor revealed.
According to ward 78 councillor Peter Sutton, 23 stalls for informal traders were built at the rank.
“At the beginning of the process, the taxi associations documented 23 traders and therefore 23 stalls were built.”
However, since then the number of informal traders has increased, which prompted a meeting between Sutton and Tshwane metro officials last week Friday.
“We noted that often when a trader settles somewhere and make a living, three or four others join him. In the end, none of them makes a living anymore.”
Sutton said the traders were currently trading on the premises outside the stalls.
“This must be addressed as trading needs to be regulated so that every trader can benefit.
“For this reason, the metro put a process in place in 2018 so that we can monitor how informal traders spread out in an area. Traders need to apply for a permit and a licence.
“We will enter into a lease agreement with the traders, no sleeping or living here will be allowed.”
Sutton said by informal traders having to follow a proper process, they are also being educated about the requirements in terms of municipal by-laws.
“In the process, we also offer assistance and make suggestions in terms of how to make a living.
“Traders must be prohibited from setting up a stall wherever they want and take note that there are restricted trading areas to maintain order and organise communities.
“It should take another estimated two to three weeks to finalise the trading issues at the new rank.”
An informal settlement of about 100 people was living at the old taxi rank, Sutton said.
“The metro will intervene to assist them in finding alternative accommodation and has already starting profiling them to have the area cleaned up as much as possible.
READ MORE: Centurion informal settlement residents want to be moved
“We also have Atteridgeville taxi association that came to join, whereas it was originally only the Centurion taxi association which was involved.
“We have to be aware of health issues, safety issues, and sanitation when we make these decisions and look at viable options.”
Sutton said the land from which the old taxi rank operated was approved for the development of a convention centre.
“Due to Covid’s impact on the tourist industry, the developer’s model changed; however, it is still the plan to build another underground taxi rank on the premises in future to address the demand.”
Tshwane development and city planning MMC Bruce Lee said workshops were held in the past and will be held again for informal traders to comply with municipal by-laws.
“The metro will endeavour to accommodate the informal traders at the new rank, but we need to check that there is no oversupply of traders in an area.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have a digital licencing platform yet. The metro tried in 2016 to create one, but failed due to tender fraud.
“At the moment people still need to go into the city, and to one location only, which is not ideal. We are working hard on improving that,” Lee concluded.
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