The Western Cape Government has welcomed a High Court interdict aimed at protecting residents and commuters in Atlantis and surrounding communities from transport-related intimidation and illegal taxi operations.
The interdict, granted on Friday, 6 March, applies to several taxi associations and individuals accused of interfering with public and private transport services in areas including Atlantis, Saxonwold and Witsand.
Several taxi operators have been shot and killed in recent weeks, including a 14-year-old girl, who was struck by a stray bullet outside her school in mid-February. Two other learners were also wounded.
Those named in the court order include the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA), the Saxonwold Local Taxi Association, the Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations (CODETA), the Atlantis Taxi Association and the CODETA Khayelitsha Killarney Local Taxi Association, as well as nine individuals.
The order prohibits the respondents, including their officials, employees and drivers, from assaulting, threatening or intimidating drivers and operators of other taxi associations or transport services. It also bars them from interfering with any form of public or private transport.
Western Cape Mobility MEC Isaac Sileku said the interdict reinforces the rule of law and prioritises the safety of residents who rely on these transport routes daily.
He acknowledged that legal interventions can sometimes create short-term uncertainty for commuters, but said the order sends a clear message that violence and intimidation will not be tolerated.
The court order also requires taxi operators to comply strictly with the conditions of their operating licences and prohibits anyone from running minibus taxi services in, to or from Atlantis without the necessary permits.
Authorities say the order specifically covers areas where interference has been reported, including the Potsdam Public Transport Interchange, the Atlantis CBD taxi rank, Westfleur Circle in Avondale and the Witsand informal taxi rank.
The Western Cape Government says it will continue monitoring the situation alongside law enforcement agencies and may carry out targeted inspections and compliance audits to ensure the interdict is upheld and commuter services remain safe.
