The City of Cape Town (COCT) says they are well on the way to 7 000 taxis that have been impounded this year so far as they continue to fight against taxi syndicates. Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith indicated that these taxis have been impounded for several reasons that contributed to the taxi violence which saw more than 70 people being killed since the beginning of the year.
“The COCT’s enforcement staff, law enforcement and the Metro police have been doing their best to tail the taxi violence, that means searching taxis and monitoring ranks and routes and also preventing rogue and pirate taxi from operating on certain routes that fuels taxi violence,” Smith said.
Meanwhile, it’s still unclear if the province’s rival taxi associations came to an agreement regarding the B97 minibus taxi route between Paarl and Bellville. According to IOL, Transport and Public Works MEC, Daylin Mitchell said on Wednesday, July 28, that the route will remain closed for two months after a breakdown in talks to stop violence between operators on the route were unsuccessful.
Mitchell says additional Golden Arrow bus services have been made available between Paarl and Bellville, Metrorail has also increased running trains on the Northern Line from 14 to 45 including the Malmesbury and Worcester services.
“I am aware that our actions have an impact on commuters, but we are confident that the additional support we have provided will help to address public transport challenges that arise until such time as the situation has stabilised,” Mitchell said.
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