Gauteng transport MEC Khabisi Mosunkutu will be visiting the Government pound on Thursday to check the status of impounded taxis after taxi owners protested against the practice.
Gauteng Public Transport, Roads and Works MEC Khabisi Mosunkutu will be visiting the Government pound on Thursday to check the status of impounded taxis after taxi owners protested against the practice.
The Top Six taxi management group marched to Johannesburg city centre on Monday, disrupting traffic, to protest that the impounding of taxis was unfair.
The MEC’s spokesman, Sizwe Matshikiza, told CARtoday.com that the visit was to establish whether these vehicles were fit to be on the road. “The issue of impounding vehicles is part of road safety and we will not allow unroadworthy vehicles to continue on our roads where they could result in deaths. We will look at these vehicles and confirm the condition they are in. We will not be blackmailed into allowing these vehicles back on to our roads,” said Matshikiza.
The MEC will be joined by Shaun Balton, the deputy director general from the office of the Gauteng Premier.
reported on Monday that the taxi owners were protesting that traffic officials were impounding vehicles they judged to be unroadworthy, instead of just taking the licence disc and telling the driver to get a certificate of roadworthiness. The owners also complained about the fee of R1000 to release impounded vehicles, which they felt was too high.