Taxi industry angry over by-law

AS THE City’s impounding of taxis and other vehicles found breaking traffic laws moves up a gear, the taxi industry is angry about the implementation of Cape Town’s new amended traffic by-law.

The City said implementing the by-law had led to an increase in the impounding of public transport vehicles.

The vehicles are impounded in cases where drivers cannot produce a valid operating licence, or are found to be operating contrary to the conditions of their operating licence.

Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) spokesperson Nkuleleko Sityebi said the City’s implementation of the newly amended traffic by-law was “unfair” to taxi owners.

“This thing affects the owners of the taxis much more than the drivers, even though the owners are not the ones driving or making mistakes on the roads.

“When a taxi is impounded the owner loses money, and this is affecting us very badly.”

The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) said it did not want to appear to be encouraging drivers to contravene the new by-laws, but impounding vehicles was too harsh.

The complaints came as the City said the impoundment of public transport vehicles had increased weekly.

Mayco Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, said yesterday that Cape Town Traffic Services held integrated roadblocks and impounded 326 taxis, compared with 264 the week before and 248 two weeks previously.

Smith said the by-laws allowed the City to charge either a daily or monthly tariff for storage of impounded vehicles, and owners had three months from the date of the impoundment in which to retrieve their vehicles.

“We are serious about making the roads safer for everyone, but the public also needs to step up.

“Our officers can do more if they do not have to police the behaviour of drivers who simply flaunt the law by driving drunk or speeding.”

Smith said Traffic Services made 82 arrests last week, of which 74 were for driving under the influence.

Officers recorded 32201 speeding offences, 26293 fines were issued for various traffic violations and 2 184 arrest warrants were executed.