By Everson Luhanga
- Officers issued 1,104 fines for broken brakes, faulty lights, expired licences and missing paperwork in a province-wide safety operation.
- Police also caught 52 drivers without valid licences and another 92 with no licence at all, calling them a danger to commuters.
Gauteng’s fight against unsafe taxis has stepped up, with dozens of vehicles pulled off the road and hundreds of drivers fined.
Between 22 and 28 September, inspectors removed 62 minibus taxis judged unroadworthy. They also issued 1,104 fines for faults such as faulty brakes, broken lights, missing papers and expired licences.
The biggest shock came from the drivers themselves. Officers found 52 driving without valid licences and another 92 with no licence at all.
“Unroadworthy vehicles and unlicensed drivers are nothing less than potential death traps,” said Gauteng roads and transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela.
She said the province is taking a zero-tolerance approach. Taxis that risk commuter lives will be impounded, and rogue operators will be forced off the road.
The Gauteng Transport Inspectorate has 96 officers carrying out weekly operations across the province. Their aim is to improve safety and restore order in the taxi industry.
The MEC said the crackdown will continue until commuters can travel without fear.
Pictured above: Gauteng Traffic officers during an inspection operation.
Image source: Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport
