Africa-Press – South-Africa. The SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) is set to convene an urgent meeting on Monday after 14 minibus taxis were impounded over the weekend despite an agreement reached with the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape government last week.
Santaco staged an eight-day strike earlier this month against the City of Cape Town impounding dozens of vehicles over a range of infractions, including number plates not being displayed, taxi operators claimed.
Taxi officials believe the offending drivers should have been issued fines instead of having their vehicles impounded.
The strike was marred by confusion over whether the metro was enforcing a by-law in impounding the vehicles or whether they were seized based on regulations in the National Land Transport Act.
The protest was punctuated with violent incidents, including attacks on motorists. Five people were killed, including British tourist Kar Hao Teoh and Law Enforcement Advancement Plan officer Zanikhaya Kwinana.
Following the eight-day stayaway, the association reached an agreement with the City that no more taxis would be impounded within the next 14 days while they resolve the issues.
Over the weekend, up to 14 taxis were impounded by City law enforcement officers – eight were impounded on Friday, and six were taken in on Saturday.
Santaco’s Nceba Enge told News24 that the council had a meeting scheduled for Monday “to pave a way forward”.
Enge said they were still trying to confirm how many taxis were impounded.
However, the City’s mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith confirmed that the taxis were impounded “in terms of the agreement” between the City and the provincial government.
He said:
Smith added that officers did impound one vehicle contrary to an agreement for overloading, which was returned.
“Only one was contrary to the agreement with SANTACO (for significant overloading – 4 passengers more than the act permits) and this vehicle was released because it hadn’t been processed yet,” said Smith.”The other taxis were impounded for the serious offences as agreed upon with SANTACO and these are impoundments under the NLTA for (a) vehicles driving without an operating license, or (b) on the incorrect route, or (c) without a drivers license or PDP, or (d) which are not roadworthy.”
Smith said the task team would “further define a list of additional major offences in terms of which vehicles will be impounded and define less serious offences for which we will continue to issue fines”.”No one is above the law and while the SOP is still being developed, we cannot allow any road users to do as they please.”
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis told News24 that the first meeting of the reconvened taxi task team meeting was set for Tuesday.
Last week that the taxi task team would define a list, within 14 days, of additional major offences in terms of which vehicles will continue to be impounded in future, and compile an agreed-upon list of minor offences which do not have commuter safety implications and which will not be impoundable.
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