POLOKWANE – Excessive hooting, congestion and stubbornness on the part of taxi drivers at two adjacent intersections in the central business district is getting out of hand and a permanent solution seems to be elusive.

The corner of Hans van Rensburg and Grobler Street at the KFC has become a traffic nightmare at best due to taxi drivers blocking not only the exit of the KFC, but also the entrance to the filling station next door. In recent weeks, the problem has escalated to a level at which business owners fear a road rage incident is waiting to happen.

According to one of the managers of KFC, Eddie Vercuiel, they have witnessed a number of patrons losing their tempers at not being able to exit the drive-through.

“One man recently took out a weapon and threatened the taxi driver that he would be shot if he did not move his vehicle,” said Vercuiel. In addition, the constant hooting is not a new problem.

“One man recently took out a weapon and threatened the taxi driver that he would be shot if he did not move his vehicle”

“This branch is where all the KFC staff in Polokwane are trained, however we have had to spend about R40 000 on double glazing our windows just to block out the noise,” continued Vercuiel. The problem first came to Review’s attention in 2012 when the Polokwane traffic department embarked on a campaign in the area during which taxi drivers were pulled off and fined. This, however, did not deter taxi drivers from blocking off motorists in the area, as far up as two adjacent intersections namely Biccard and Grobler, and Schoeman and Grobler Streets.

“The hooting starts at 07:00 and does not stop until about 18:00. It affects the productivity of our training sessions and other business activities,” Vercuiel said.

“We have written letters to both the municipality and the traffic department about the problem, and nothing has been done. Soon, we will be left with no option but to move premises.”

Leon Steenkamp, the owner of the BP filling station next to the KFC said taxi drivers park, and subsequently block, the entrance to the filling station to drop off and pick up passengers.

“This blocks the access for other motorists, who then drive past, and we lose customers,” he said. He too, said an incident of road rage is imminent. “I have seen motorists lose their tempers a number of times when they find they cannot enter or exit because there is a taxi in the way. In Hans van Rensburg Street vehicles turning into the first lane in Grobler Street are forced to break the traffic rules themselves as they have no option but to turn into the second lane.

This has led to a few fender benders and is a real cause of frustration.

“Grobler Street is extremely busy and we are concerned this may cause an accident as people get angry and race out of the filling station at high speeds when the taxis move,” a business owner in Grobler Street said.

The chief of the traffic department, Reginald Ramporo said the department is looking at options to put a stop to the situation. “We will consider options to improve the situation, such as putting a traffic officer in the area, fining offenders and we will even go as far as to confiscate the vehicles,” he said.

He however said it remained a manpower problem since they can’t have a traffic officer posted at the scene permanently. “Our staff are needed at other activities in the city as well,” he added. While municipal spokesperson, Tidimalo Chuene referred Review’s queries to the traffic department, she did say Grobler Street will be prioritised.

She urged the community and business owners to report anyone who did not obey the rules of the road. She said the matter would be raised at one of the regular meetings held between the traffic department and taxi associations, to find an urgent solution to the problem.

Asked for comment, representatives from taxi associations said those transgressing the law are “chancers”, or free agents who do not belong to the associations itself and who do not keep to the arranged routes.