Outlaws throng roads

[Kornhub]

More than 200 Cape Town taxis are impounded every month for permit violations.

JP Smith, the mayoral committee member for safety and security, said that in the last 16 months 3777 taxis had been impounded, most of them because their drivers did not have an operating permit.

"This is a staggering statistic and illustrates the difficulties of regulating this industry," said Smith.

"The city's role is limited to enforcement and this particular transgression is incredibly difficult and time-consuming to police because, in many instances, our staff have to get the impounded vehicles to the pound only for the vehicles to be released a few hours later."

Owners reclaim about 90% of impounded vehicles after paying a fine, which could be as much as R15000.

Another problem is overloaded taxis. Since the beginning of the year, more 2000 fines have been issued to the drivers of overloaded vehicles.

Smith advised commuters not to board overloaded taxis.

"Being a few minutes late is better than not getting there at all," he said.

But the SA National Taxi Council said the city was hindering applications for operating permits.

Mzoxolo Dibela, general secretary of the council in the Western Cape, said yesterday the city had placed a moratorium on the issuing of operating permits for "most of the routes" in order to protect its integrated rapid transport plans. Applications for permits were often turned down.

"Taxi owners apply for [permits] through the Department of Transport and the provincial regulatory entity but the entity must grant the application ... on the basis of comments from the city," said Dibela.

The city, he said, had the final say because it regulated and managed taxi ranks.

Dibela claimed that 95% of taxis were not overloaded and accused officials of targeting them unfairly. He said buses and other modes of transport were often overloaded but this went unpunished.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2014/12/01/outlaws-throng-roads

 

[ToxicBunny]

Its very simple...

If a taxi is impounded 3 times in a single year for being unroadworthy or overloaded, then it should get crushed....

 

[Kornhub]

It amazes me how many laws they break in one day

 

[t123]

Its very simple...

If a taxi is impounded 3 times in a single year for being unroadworthy or overloaded, then it should get crushed....

And every time they seize it the fine should go up 10x

 

[Nerfherder]

Its very simple...

If a taxi is impounded 3 times in a single year for being unroadworthy or overloaded, then it should get crushed....

In the UK they impound and crush 1st time.

My wifes aunt let her vehical licence expire for 3 months, they took the car and flattened it.. no questions asked.

A bit hectic but perhaps we need to do this. Some really terrible cars on our roads.

 

[Seriously]

the city had placed a moratorium on the issuing of operating permits for "most of the routes" in order to protect its integrated rapid transport plans. Applications for permits were often turned down.

There lies the problem but I would probably have done the same just to get rid of the private taxi system which is a unsafe and problematic system for any city. The so called "Taxi association" controls and regulations is a farce.