The National Taxi Alliance (NTA) maintains that some driver’s permits could not be renewed on time due to rolling blackouts.
NTA officials have joined law enforcement agencies checking for compliance on major national routes, including the De Hoek Toll Plaza on the N3 highway.
Fusi Makhasane, the NTA’s road safety co-ordinator says, “Most of the cars that were impounded because of the problems with the permits. And the operating license department in Gauteng had to close. They said it is because of the backlog of issuing acting licenses. They only opened on the 1st of December, it was already Stage 6. And when they go to uplift their operating licenses they find that there is no electricity and people have to be transported.”
Installation of surveillance cameras in taxis
The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) in KwaZulu-Natal has started installing surveillance cameras in its taxis to improve passenger and driver safety.
The installation comes in time for the festive season when long-distance trips between Durban and outlying areas and other provinces are expected to increase.
So far, about 70 taxis in Durban have had cameras installed to monitor drivers. The owner of the vehicle uses an app to access critical footage showing the vehicle’s speed.
The Western Cape calls for blue dot taxi programme to resume:
