TENSIONS HIGH IN TAXI ROW
WHILE the Northern Cape Department of Transport has emphasised that only approved taxi ranks may be used as collection points for passengers, tensions remain high between long-distance taxi drivers and members of the public who use their personal vehicles to transport commuters from a pick-up point in Oliver Road in Kimberley.
Earlier this week, city resident Logan Doyle, who collects passengers from the site in his private vehicle, said that he has raised the issue with both the traffic department as well as police but is still concerned for his safety.
“Apart from the taxis, there are also private vehicles that transport passengers from the Trim Park, as there is no law that says you may not give people a lift,” Doyle explained. “The problem is that the drivers (of the private vehicles) are being threatened and intimidated by members of Santaco (SA National Taxi Council).
“I went to the traffic department and was told that they (the taxis) may not stand and collect passengers from that point. However, there are always taxis parked there, waiting for customers and nothing seems to be done about it.
“Their permits only allow them to wait to collect passengers from the Indian Centre, not from the Trim Park. Yet when I stop there, I am harassed and threatened.”
According to Doyle, this harassment and intimidation has seen some of his passengers prevented from using his services and even ordered out of his vehicle.
“Earlier this week they opened my car door and threatened me as I sat in the vehicle. If nothing else, to me, this is an invasion of privacy.
“I went to the police who said that they could not open a criminal case but noted my grievances and told me that they knew who to suspect should something happen to me or my vehicle.”
Taxi drivers at the collection point yesterday morning referred the media to Santaco’s provincial chairperson, Mazwe Nkonki, who could not be reached for comment.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Northern Cape Department of Transport, Keitumetse Moticoe, said that all minibus taxi type operations had to commence from approved municipal taxi ranks.
“The department will only be able to confirm if the said person is a legal operator once we receive his identity number for verification purposes,” she said in response to media enquiries yesterday. “Due to a limited number of taxi ranks, commuters are using various pick-up and drop-off points.
“We have noted the concern and the department’s Public Transport Inspectorate has been informed for monitoring and inspection purposes to ensure that we maintain law and order on our roads and operations.
“Let us also be mindful of our commuters’ safety and continuously ensure we utilise lawful points of operations while abiding by the rules of the road.”