Taxi boss criticises motorists for giving lifts to relatives: ‘That’s our business!’
Santaco advises motorists to first inform taxi patrollers if they plan to give family members a lift to prevent any issues.
The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) states that motorists are not permitted to give lifts to hitchhikers, even if they are family members.
This comes as videos of a taxi patrol vehicle harassed motorists who reportedly give pedestrians lifts on the N4 toll road in Mpumalanga on separate occasions were circulated online.
SANTACO SAYS MOTORISTS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO GIVE HITCHHIKERS LIFTS
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Santaco chairperson in Mpumalanga Fanyana Sibanyoni said car owners aren’t allowed to give pedestrians lifts because they infringe on their rights because, as taxi operators, they are the only ones who have a permit to pick up passengers.
Sibanyoni said motorists should first stop and explain to the security guard or taxi patrollers that the individual they want to pick up is a family member, which shouldn’t be an issue.
Sibanyoni’s sentiments come as Mpumalanga motorist Themba Mahlangu said taxi patrollers took his company car and forced him to pay R2500 after he gave a lift to his neighbour.
Mahlangu said he was traveling to Nelspruit and saw her neighbor from Barberton at a spot that is 7km away from a taxi rank, and decided to give her a lift. Thereafter, two men entered his vehicle and confiscated the car keys.
“They told me they are not scared of the police. I opened a case but the police couldn’t go with me to the taxi rank. I showed them the pictures of the suspect, and they said there have been over three cases that have been opened against him at the Nelspruit police station, but he wasn’t arrested,” he explained.
Mahlangu said several motorists in Mpumalanga have complained about the harassment. However, taxi patrollers need to understand that if someone is hitchhiking, it means they are in a hurry, or they don’t have money, as some have to pay twice to get to their destinations.
The Mpumalanga provincial government has also warned taxi patrollers to stop harassing motorists on the road.
SIMILAR INCIDENTS REPORTED ACROSS THE COUNTRY
This is not the first time the alleged harassment of motorists by taxi patrollers has been thrust into the spotlight.
In KwaZulu-Natal, a number of incidents have been reported where taxi patrollers are conducting illegal road blocks and pull out passengers from private vehicles claiming that lift clubs are killing their business.
Some motorists were allegedly forced to pay between R5000 and R10 000 or their cars were impounded by the taxi patrollers.
In 2022, Santaco office manager Sifiso Shangase told Daily News that those who are stopped and extorted should open a case, especially if they have seen and taken details of those who stopped them, such as vehicle licences.
Shangase said people should question what the fine was for, where the money was going and who it was going to.