Durban – More allegations have surfaced about taxi associations stopping vehicles and demanding payment on the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal.
Last month, the Daily News reported on taxi associations which are allegedly harassing and intimidating lift clubs.
On Facebook, Zuleka Moolla shared a post she received on a traffic group.
The post stated that police assistance was required on the KZN South Coast.
“Be aware taxi association members pulling cars over between ultra city and Umgababa wearing reflective clothing; don’t stop, else they may hold your car hostage if you have any passengers even if it’s your family – as received from a reliable source,” the post read.
Reacting, Helena Moos said that they are aware of the exact location of where this is happening
“Why has that man with the big black hat not deployed a couple of vans and his men to pick those offenders up?,” she asked.
George Snodey said that it was not a rumour.
“These thugs stopped a local businessman's work vehicle the other day and demanded R10 000 for the release of the vehicle.
“The worker is given the vehicle in which to go home, so that he can drop other company employees off and pick them up in the morning because of the odd hours they mostly work. Most of the time, there is no taxi available at those hours. They eventually had to settle on R2 500 because that’s all he had available. They told him he can buy a permit from them for R10 000 to be able to transport his own staff. Unreal but anarchy is a bit closer than we think.”
Suri Rambaran also said it was real and that a company driver was exposed to a similar situation. He had to pay to release the driver and the vehicle.
“SA is crime-ridden,” Rambaran said.
The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) office manager Sifiso Shangase said there were laws that govern the country and what was happening in the South Coast was extortion.
Shangase also said that there were no spot fines in South Africa.
He said 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.
“Even if people are breaking the laws of transportation by not having the required documentation, they cannot be fined. They should be guided,” Shangase said.
He said that people should question what the fine was for, where the money was going and who it was going to.
“The law should take its course,” Shangase said.
“People should open a case.”
Last month, the Daily News reported that Santaco in KZN has distanced itself from taxi associations which are allegedly harassing and intimidating lift clubs.
The council was responding to the concern raised by a motorist from KwaNdengezi township, west of Durban, who wrote to the Daily News asking for the council, police and Department of Transport’s intervention in the province.
The motorist said taxi owners are conducting illegal roadblocks in the morning where they stop cars and pull out passengers, claiming that motorists were killing their businesses.
The motorist who could not be named for his own safety, said taxi people are demanding a “fine” of R5 000 from the motorists who were found with another person in his or her car or, they impound the car.
Shangase condemned these incidents, saying his organisation was distancing itself from such acts.
He said people are free to use their choice of transport and no one should harass or intimidate them.
Daily News