Businesses outraged as Eloff Street cul-de-sac turns into unruly taxi hub
A quiet Eloffsdal corner near Paul Kruger Street has transformed into a noisy, makeshift taxi rank, leaving nearby business owners frustrated by blaring music, open drug use, and water misuse.
Residents and business owners in Eloffsdal are raising concerns over a cul-de-sac in Eloff Street, near Paul Kruger Street, which has turned into a disruptive and illegal taxi rank.
What was once a quiet corner now echoes with loud music, hosts daily gatherings, and sees open water misuse, much to the frustration of those living and working nearby.
Charmaigne Bos du Plessis, who works for Rekord Newspapers in the area, said the issue has persisted for months and is growing worse.
“From about 09:00 they all pull in here, and sometimes friends join, and they play music full blast so that the bass rattles my windows,” she said.
“I cannot communicate with my customers, and they are making it a social gathering.”
She said she no longer feels safe walking through the area, which she once used for a quick stretch.
“I used to take a walk around the block, but don’t feel safe to pass there without having a confrontation or conflict,” she said.
Bos du Plessis also raised concerns about the illegal use of municipal water.
According to her, drivers use a large spanner to open a fire hydrant in nearby Mance Avenue to wash their taxis daily, despite ongoing water restrictions in the metro.
“We have water restrictions, and yet every taxi is being washed with water they take from the fire hydrant,” she said.
She said the area is now frequented by young people seen smoking dagga in corners, further raising safety concerns for the local community.
Bos du Plessis added that taxi owners are of the impression they can do as they please and also litter “while they use our road leading to the cul-de-sac”.
“We are all businesses around this area, and it has become unbearable.”
Bos du Plessis said that the issue briefly subsided, but the situation has deteriorated again.
“There are now even more taxis queuing in Eloff Street. The woofers and sound system are a constant rattling of the windows, and the taxis are now a car length away from my entrance,” she said.
Ward 53 councillor Wayne Helfrich said he had not received any formal complaints in this regard until now.
“I am only being made aware of the situation now,” he said.
Helfrich added that he would need a specific address and reference numbers from complaints logged with the city’s call centre to escalate the issue.
Once received, Helfrich said he would take the matter to the Tshwane Metro Police Department’s Region 3 for enforcement. He would also raise the issue with the MMC for Public Safety and relevant officials at the city’s Community Safety Section 79 meetings.
At the time of publication, the Tshwane Metro Police Department had not yet responded to the matter.
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