CATA: No people allowed at Nyanga taxi rank after dark

The Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA) has taken new measures to ensure safety at the Nyanga taxi rank.

This is in light of the most recent attack there, with three taxis torched at the rank on the night of 11 July.

Commuters and residents in the area received a notice last Wednesday instructing them to avoid going to the taxi rank after 19:00.

CATA spokesperson, Nkululeko Sityebi, confirmed to SmileFM that members of the public were no longer allowed to be at the taxi rank after dark.

“The CATA leadership is notifying all residents of Kufutshane and Nyanga Terminus, and all residents who use the ATM, that AFTER 6 PM IN THE EVENING, 19:00, NO PERSON/MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC is allowed to walk inside the taxi rank,” read the notice, translated into English.

Sityebi advised that it was not the association’s intention to take such drastic measures but noted that the measure was needed to prevent violent crime, such as their taxis being set alight. He added that the measure is not only to protect their vehicles, but also commuters.

“After the series of torching of the vehicles and then the damaging of the CATA offices, we decided to have a little bit of restriction around the terminus of Nyanga. The terminus is not fenced,” said Sityebi, adding that people can often walk right through the terminus because it is open.

He said that about four or five security officers have also been deployed to monitor movement at the terminus. Sityebi added that they have reached out to police for further assistance.

Sityebi said there are plans to increase security measures at the rank, but at this stage, there are financial constraints limiting CATA from carrying those out.

“We are planning to do that because each and every association that is operating there in Nyanga… if [they] can add at least two or three security personnel for the safety of the Nyanga terminus… we are planning to do that but its not done yet,” said Sityebi.

In light of reports of robberies at the ATM at the terminus, Sityebi noted that the association also needs to ensure public safety. He added that this measure is also to ensure that innocent people are not presumed to be those involved in wrongdoing, but because they are not aware of who the criminals are, they needed to issue the notice.

“All CATA is saying, people need to look out in Nyanga terminus at certain after-hours because that’s where the malicious damage is taking place. That’s all we are appealing. And then the commuters, they trust the industry, they trust CATA. That’s one thing that is important. That is the one thing that we are fighting for,” said Sityebi.