Thirty taxis involved in illegal transportation of passengers and wrong routes were slapped with fines and seven of them were impounded for operating without permits around Phokeng in the North West province on Monday. The zero-tolerance traffic law enforcement operation dubbed Hamba Kahle is in support of the National Rolling Enforcement Plan.
Among those arrested during the special operation that focused around Phokeng, was a 31 year-old taxi driver who was arrested on the R565 Chaneng-Boshoek road outside Phokeng for overloading 45 learners in a 14 seater Toyota Quantum. The driver who is behind bars is expected to appear at the Phokeng Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
The driver was allegedly transporting the learners from Boshoek Primary School to Phokeng when he was stopped by traffic officers from the North West Provincial Road Traffic Management Unit. He was escorted to Phokeng Police Station after his arrest. The officers had to solicit the assistance of Bafokeng Taxi Association to ensure that the learners whose ages range from four to seven years reached their homes after the taxi was impounded.
The same driver was earlier in the morning issued with a ticket for driving a taxi without an operating license. North West Acting MEC for Human Settlements, Public Safety and Liaison, Dr Magome Masike has on called on parents to play their part and not to allow scholar transport operators and or public transport operators to overload their children like “sardines” in their vehicles.
MEC Magome Masike was infuriated by the incident and has vowed that zero tolerance operations will be intensified across the province to curb overloading of scholar and illegal transportation of passengers.
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele
Tel: 018 381 9171
Fax: 018 381 9123
Cell: 083 629 1987
E-mail: LKgwele@nwpg.gov.za
