Ten taxi drivers are behind bars after they were arrested in the space of 24 hours earlier this week. The City says the 10 had outstanding warrants against their names, which totalled just over R632 000. The Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith says the 10 were taken into custody. This is a fate that has befallen more than 20 000 other motorists in the City, over a seven months period.

Ten taxi drivers behind bars

Alderman Smith says 4 of the arrests were made on the N2 Highway during peak hour patrols and operations. Officers, on Thursday, 26 February, also detained a driver with 22 warrants. These warrants have a value of R90 350.

Smith added that a second driver was detained in connection with a hit-and-run incident. He allegedly had also stolen the other driver’s keys and drove off. He says that when the suspect was pulled over, officers checked and discovered he had 20 outstanding warrants totalling R68 900.

A taxi driver was also arrested for a hit-and-run incident

Smith says on Friday, 27 February, officers arrested two more taxi drivers. One had 18 warrants valued at R56 200, and the other had 29 warrants totalling R114 700. He says during an integrated operation in Sea Point and surrounds on Friday morning, Traffic Officers arrested six drivers. The six drivers had 123 warrants between them, totalling R301 900.

Smith says, “During the seven months under review, Traffic Officers have recorded more than 2,2 million offences, made 1 411 general arrests and impounded 5 632 public transport vehicles.”

Failing to appear in court for unpaid traffic fines

According to a media statement, city-wide, between July 2025 and January 2026, Traffic Officers have executed 52,938 warrants on motorists who have failed to appear in court for unpaid traffic fines. It also reads that while some were released on a warning, 20,724 (39%) were taken into custody until their court appearances. This is compared to just 11% of all warrant executions during the same period the previous year.

Smith concluded, “To those who might be seeking a reprieve, we are FINALIZING logistics for another traffic fine roadshow in March.”